Help Pls

[khumalop3]

I Want To Desing And Make A Toy Boat That Can Move A Distance Of About 4 Meters, But The Boat Must Not Have A Mottor And Bettries.pls Help On How To Power The Boat.

[CaptainTweak]

If you can use wind, just put a sail on it! That would be the easiest way to make it move.

[SamSam]

A wound up rubber band can power a propeller or a paddlewheel. I think somehow baking soda or baking powder can make it go poot-poot-poot blowing bubbles out a tube in a primative jet drive. Sam

[Toot]

really powerful magnets!!!

harness the power of water bugs!

[hansp77]

Or a candle,
I am not sure how they work, but you can buy those little boats that are powered by a tealight candle.
I am sure you could buy one ($2 or so) and get a little 'inspiration.'

[khumalop3]

I think the candle is best but still i'm not sure haw to do it, pls if u know how to use the candle to power the boat help me.thanks to u all.

[Figgy]

http://sci-toys.com/scitoys/scitoys/...ermo.html#boat
Its all there. If you need more, Google "candle powered boat".

[hansp77]

Nice finding Figgy, I knew it was something like that,
I love how simply it works.
It pumps like ten times a second,
it's fantastic.

Khumalop3- is this for a race?

[Figgy]

It must be for homework or something. he posted somewhere else this morning, only a little different..
help ?
Khumalop3, how do you know that this won't move straight? A little tweeking with the copper lines, maby hang a string off the back for drag..
Yeah Hans, I don't think it can be any simpler than that. Its almost TOO easy!
The simple things amuse me the most

[khumalop3]

thank u figgy.i realy appretiate your help.

[SamSam]

Originally Posted by Figgy

http://sci-toys.com/scitoys/scitoys/...ermo.html#boat
Its all there. If you need more, Google "candle powered boat".

Maybe that could be made full sized? Maybe power it with old tires? Sam

[JPC]

That candle-steam-coil is great!

Another fun one is a boat made of a small piece of aluminium foil that is shaped such that it is nearly flat across the bottom. A cut is made in the back of the boat in a shape similar to that of a pen nib (imagine a 1mm channel running in approx 1/2 - 1 cm from the stern to a small circle (2-3mm) -sorry; I'm at the office so can't provide a drawing). It is usually helpful if the channel widens towards the stern (more rocket nozzle than pen nib now). The dimensions are not at all critical.

The boat is floated in water, and a chip of bar soap is placed in the small circle the sole purpose of which is to contain the soap chip. As the soap dissolves, it reduces surface tension at the aft-end of the vessel with the result that the greater surface tension acting on the rest of the waterline will draw the boat forward.

While this doesn't have the commercial potential of the steam propulsion above, it's fun with kids and usually mystifies adults (also fun).

[SeaSpark]

Hoi JPC,

Thanks for your foil/soap boat design information. The candle coil steam boat is rather well known, the foil soap propulsion is completely new to me.

[Toot]

Originally Posted by SamSam

Maybe that could be made full sized? Maybe power it with old tires? Sam

I also hear you can generate a lot of heat energy by burning spotted owls...

[SamSam]

Originally Posted by Toot

I also hear you can generate a lot of heat energy by burning spotted owls...

Other than the nuisance of plucking them, that would work. How about seals? Or whales? Blubber ought to be about as good as a tire. Sam