The 2nd Annual Cardboard Boat Race in AP Physics 2 challenged participating Bethpage High School students to apply their understanding of fluid mechanics, buoyancy, density, and stability to design and construct a functional cardboard boat. Working in teams, students used physics principles to predict how their designs would interact with water, balancing factors such as displacement, weight distribution, and structural integrity. The project culminated in an exciting race where students tested their creations firsthand, analyzing successes and failures through the lens of physics. This hands-on engineering challenge provided an engaging opportunity to connect classroom concepts to real-world problem solving and design.
