Land Yacht
Can a land yacht drive into the wind?
- Which forces did you see in action when you watched the sailboat and kite in the video?
- Which force made the sailboat move?
- In what situations does a sailboat not work?
Build the Land Yacht model, and let’s find out...
- Building instructions book, pages 86 - 102
Experiment 1: Downwind
- Place your land yacht on the starting line, facing away from the fan (0 degrees).
- Change the angle of the sail and test to see which angle makes it go the farthest.
- Record the best sail angle on your worksheet.
Experiment 2: Crosswind
- Use the angle measurement tool to set your land yacht at a right angle (90 degrees) to the fan.
- Adjust the sail, and record which sail angle worked best to move your land yacht sideways (crosswind).
Experiment 3: Into the Wind
- Use the angle measurement tool to measure the maximum angle at which your land yacht can drive into the wind.
- Record the sail angle that worked best.
What did you find out?
- Which forces did you observe?
- Was there a pattern?
- Could you predict what would happen next?
- Don’t forget to record your observations in your science notebook.
