Awards Earned: 1st Place, 6th Physical Science, PCA Science Fair 3rd Place, 6th Physical Science, ACSI Science Fair

Does a swim cap reduce drag and help a swimmer swim faster through the water?

If a swimmer wears a swim cap drag will be reduced, helping the swimmer to swim faster.

The variables are the two types of wigs with and without a swim cap.

The control group is the melon without a swim cap or wig.

wooden board
screw hook
honeydew melon
net
elastic band
ruler
flowing source of water
7-centimeter wig
32-centimeter wig
swim cap
tape measure

Build the test setup:
1] Screw a hook into a wooden board.
2] Put a honeydew melon into a net.
3] Tie one loop on each side of an elastic band.
4] String the elastic through the net so that it is closed.
5] Put the loops in the elastic onto the hook.
6] Tape a ruler to the end of the board to measure how far the elastic stretched.
7] Calibrate the test setup with a force gauge and determine the force per distance pulled on the elastic and convert to Newtons (kg * 9.8 m/s^2 = Newtons).
8] Put the structure in a flowing source of water and measure the amount the elastic stretches. Repeat two more times (this is the control group).

Test the swim cap on the melon:
1] Put the 7-centimeter wig over the melon and perform 3 trials as above.
2] Put the swim cap over the wig and perform 3 trials as above.
3] Put the 32-centimeter wig over the melon and perform 3 trials as above.
4] Put the swim cap over the wig and perform 3 trials as above.

Determine the flow rate of the water source:
1] Measure 7 meters on the side of the flowing source of water.
2] Time how long it takes a stick in the water to go the 7 meters.
3] Divide 7 meters by the time to get the flow rate in meters per second.

The smallest amount of drag occurred in the control group, the melon without a swim cap or wig. The drag for the swim cap over the wigs was greater than the drag of the melon alone because the cap over a wig is larger in size than the melon alone. However, for each type of wig, the drag force in Newtons was lower with the swim cap over the wig than with the wig alone. For the 7-centimeter wig, the swim cap reduced drag by 33%. For the 32-centimeter wig, the swim cap reduced drag by 40%.

The hypothesis that if a swimmer wears a swim cap it will reduce drag was correct. The elastic used was close to being completely stretched in the range that it was used. Therefore, a linear spring might be more accurate than the elastic.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

This means that since the Holy Spirit lives inside of us, we are commanded to take care of our bodies. One way to take care of our bodies is to swim. This will cause our bodies to stay in shape which will enable us to glorify God in many more ways.

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