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TNT 201
Design an Elastic-powered Toy Boat
Designs
Design 1 Design 2
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Preferred Design
Rubber band
Ice cream stick
Polystyrene Tray
Design 1
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Materials and tools used:
• Polystyrene tray
• Ice cream sticks
• Skewers
• Glue
• 1 rubber band
• Glue Gun
• Knife
• Scissors
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Make
Image showing materials and
tools used
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Images showing construction of Design 1
Step 1: Cutting of the
polystyrene tray.
Step 2: Cutting of the ice
cream sticks.
Step 3: Glue
components together.
Step 4: Glue supporting ice
cream sticks and attach rotor to Final
rubber band.
Design
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Building this toy boat was a rewarding but challenging experience that taught us a lot
about energy transfer, balance, and design adjustments. Evaluate
At the beginning, our main goal was to create a simple boat that could demonstrate the
transformation of elastic potential energy (stored in the twisted rubber band) into
mechanical energy (movement of the propeller and the boat). We used foam pieces for
the base to help the boat float, popsicle sticks for the frame, and a rubber band-powered
propeller.
First Attempt:
Initially, we made the propeller blades wide enough to fit exactly between the two orange
popsicle sticks. While this seemed like a good idea for stability, it caused two major
problems:
1. The propeller was too tight and had very little room to spin freely, making it stiff and
ineffective.
2. Because the boat was lightweight and the force from the stiff propeller was uneven, the
boat kept leaning to one side, almost tipping over.
Adjustments:
We realized the propeller needed more space to rotate easily. So, we trimmed the
propeller smaller, hoping it would fit better and reduce the stiffness. After a few attempts,
the boat still struggled to move forward properly, sometimes the propeller spun without
pushing much water, and other times it barely spun at all.
We suspected that the issue wasn't just the propeller's size but also the overall balance of Check out this video showcasing a boat that
the boat. To fix this, we added small amounts of water into the foam "deck" to lower the
center of gravity, making it harder for the boat to tip over during motion. brilliantly demonstrates mechanical energy
Final Outcome: in action.
Finally, with a smaller, better-shaped propeller and a more stable base, the boat
successfully moved forward across the water. The rubber band stored elastic energy
when twisted and, upon release, spun the propeller to create thrust, moving the boat, a
perfect demonstration of energy transformation! 8
References
Kumar, A. 2020. Innovations in boat propulsion: elastic and alternative systems. 2nd ed. New York:MarineTech Publishing.
Science Buddies. 2023. Rubber band powered boats. [Online]. Available at: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-
ideas/Aero_p031/aerodynamics-hydrodynamics/rubber-band-powered-boat [Accessed 26 April 2025].
Smith, B. & Jones, R. 2021. Development of elastic propulsion systems for model boats. Journal of Marine Engineering and Technology,
12(3):45-52.
Zhao, M. & Stewart, L. 2019. Elastic energy storage in watercraft: a study of rubber band powered boats. Paper presented at the 15th
International Conference on Small Vessel Engineering, Tokyo, Japan, 15–17 August 2019.
Group members and Student number as follows
Tyree Govender: 24220583
Simishka Govender : 23208638
Annabelle Pillay : 23209253
Leesha Singh : 23204480
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Preston Bhojraj : 23208534
