Projects

Static Equilibrium of Floating Bodies 1 (HYDROSTATICS)

Duration: 01.01.1999 – 31.12.2000 (24 months)

Coordination: Instituto Superior Técnico

Funding Entity: Ministry for Science and Technology, Unit for Living Science

To promote the difusion among young students of basic cientific methods, relating to Naval Architecture. The principle of Archimedes, the concept of centre of flotation and the bi-dimensional graphs of inclining moments versus angles are classic instruments in the statics of floating bodies. This project aims at the measurement of these values and at the experimental and graphical verification of its relations. It intends to be significant for all the young students, in its great diversity of aptitudes and motivations, making use only of commonly available technology. Also, it is more suggesting by using models of current boats and ships. Disciplines: Physical and Chemical Sciences and Lab Technologies. Expected products: reports of the aerodynamics of sails in models of boats, to be stored in the Library of the School, for example for future use in practical projects of other students. Exposition: One expects that the accomplishment of the experiences in open forecourts will stimulate the student curiosity, preparing the young students to adhere to the projects. The reports of these experiences make possible for example the estimate of the speed and adornamento of a model to the sail, suggesting small projects of naval architecture. With this set of experiences, one expects that a fraction of the involved students develop creative projects of an empirical nature, to be presented in the national Forum of Science in The Schools, and also as a side-show during a congress of Naval Engineering. The study of local traditional boats or windsurf boards are some of the many possibilities. The Autonomous Section of Naval Engineering of the IST will assist the people involved in these projects, and will give them exposition in media. The professor will receive a list of questions for the students, and written suggestions for the conception of the reports that the students write in the end. These elements are entirely subjected to the criteria of the teacher, being him authorised to distribute them or to modify its parameters of evaluation. Being these experimental proposals aiming to a widened spectre of pupils, different professors will choose different techniques of evaluation. From the point of view of the IST, the groups will be observed as the experimental works is carried over, and the reports will be used as progress reports. Signs of reactions to the functional aspects of the materials will be watched for (even the esthetical ones, given the influence they could have on very young students). With the generalisation of these programs to other schools, IST expects to observe effects in the pupils submitting for the Faculty degree.

Project Team

Associated Publications