Neutral Buoyancy Challenge

Overview

In the Neutral Buoyancy Challenge, participants work in teams to add weight to a helium balloon until its weight is exactly equal to its buoyancy; then the balloon is neutrally buoyant - it does not rise or fall. The challenge is posed in the context of a NASA mission defining several levels of success with a clearly defined launch time. Members of each team collaborate to define a strategy for maximizing the float time of their balloon. At the launch time, all teams release their balloons simultaneously and record their float time. This is a face-paced and fun team exercise that demonstrates principles of gravity and buoyancy.

History of Development and implementation of this learning activity