Captain Nemo Contraption Science Project – Must Sink and Come Up !!HELP!!?
I have to create a project that will sink and then at least part of it must resurface. Here’s the rules.
1) You must supply everything needed to build the device (no problem if I have to buy something)
2) The ENTIRE DEVICE MUST SINK.
3) The entire device or ANY PART of the device must resurface WITHIN 5 MINUTES.
4) Water will be the liquid used to test your device. No harmful or dangerous chemicals are allowed (eg. Draino, Liquid Plumber)
5) You may not aid or assist your device in any way once it is placed in the water.
6) Your device must be built and submitted by February 17, 2009.
7) Devices that successfully sink and then float will be declared to have met the challenges of captain nemo. 
No HEAVY weights—it is a glass aquarium…
IMPORTANT NOTE: It must be ORIGINAL-points will be deducted if someone else submits a similar project using the same basic principles.
Any ideas? I thought maybe of something with a small leek punctured just before it’s put under…but then I realized 10 other people were using the same idea. Bye-bye 10 points (at least knowing my professor).
THANKS, YAHOO!
ALSO NOTE:
Fiopar: I do not think ice will melt in a cold-water aquarium in 5 minutes or less, but thanks for the suggestion.
Mrs Worth: Thanks for your idea. I must say it is very unique and not near what I was picturing in my mind. I will let the rest of Yahoo post their ideas before selecting yours though.
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i think that you should use two parts to your “ship” a hollow base with a small hole in it so that it fills up with water and sinks. The top part should be made of something that will float easily. Now here is the difficult part; attach the bottom to the top with ice. when the “ship” sinks the ice will melt in a couple minutes releasing the top part which will float to the surface.
1) Any space filled with baking powder will float if the powder slowly gets wet and generates air bubbles.
2) A heavy-ish weight (like a piece of metal) will sink even if it’s attached to a piece of styrofoam. But if it soaks free of the styrofoam in less than 5 minutes, the styrofoam will float back up. A drop of honey or sugar water (or maybe Jello) might stick just long enough to let both pieces sink, but dissolve quickly enough to let the styrofoam float free.
3) Any other unstable coupling of a floating piece connected to a sinking piece might work — something that will sink tied loosely to a bar of floating soap, for example. If the string slithers off the soap once it gets wet and slippery, the soap will float.