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Drag Racing in the Water

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Abstract

It's fun to go swimming! To feel the power of your body as you launch yourself into the water. But did you know that swimming isn't just about skill and athleticism? The human body consists of skin, contours, and curves. How the water moves along your body and the clothing you are wearing determines how fast you can go. In this science fair project, you will investigate the effects of a force called drag. You will compare the time it takes to swim 25 meters in a swimsuit versus swimming the same distance in street clothing. So warm up, suit up, and get ready to dive in!

Summary

Areas of Science
Difficulty
 
Time Required
Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites
You need to be an excellent swimmer and have access to a swimming pool that is at least 25 meters in length. Do not perform this science fair project if you are not in good health. Get permission from your parents or guardians to do this science fair project.
Material Availability
This science fair project requires access to a swimming pool during a time when it is not crowded.
Cost
Low ($20 - $50)
Safety
Minor injury is possible. This science fair project requires adult supervision in a special facility. Lifeguards must be available.
Credits

Michelle Maranowski, PhD, Science Buddies

  • Velcro® is a registered trademark of VELCRO Industries B.V.
  • Speedo® is a registered trademark of Speedo International Limited.

Objective

To determine the difference in time it takes to swim 25 meters (m) in street clothing, compared to while wearing a swimsuit.

Introduction

The field of biomimetics is a science based on nature, to improve human life. The word biomimetic is derived from bios, meaning "life," and mimesis, meaning "to imitate." One example of biomimetics that many of us are familiar with is Velcro®. Velcro was developed in 1941 by George de Mestral. After coming home from a trip with his dog, he noticed burrs sticking to him and to his dog's fur. He looked at the burrs under a microscope and noticed that the tips of the burrs were curved. These curved tips caught anything that had tiny loops, including clothing and fur. After a few years of research, de Mestral developed Velcro. Velcro consists of two strips of nylon, one with loops and the other with hooks.

A company that has looked to nature to get ideas is Speedo®. Speedo designs and manufactures swimsuits. Speedo looked to the shark to find out what it is about shark skin that makes the shark move so fast. It turns out that shark skin is made up of denticles that force the water into a tubular flow. This separates the shark from the water and reduces drag so that the shark can swim fast.

What is drag? Drag is a mechanical force that is generated by the interaction and contact of a solid body with a fluid. The fluid can be a liquid or a gas. Drag is also the resistance to the motion of a solid body through a fluid. Engineers who design cars and airplanes always test their designs to see how drag affects the movement.

But what does drag have to do with swimming fast? Human skin and hair interact with water and generate drag that will slow a swimmer down. Speedo has designed suits that reduce drag on the swimmer's body, and repel water. This adds up to faster swim times. In fact, many of the swimmers who broke records at the 2008 summer Olympics wore the Speedo Fastskin LZR Racer suit.

In this sports science fair project, you will experiment with drag by swimming with shorts and a T-shirt on, then swimming with a swimsuit on to discover how each affects swim times. Remember to swim as fast as you can. To help improve your swim times, try picturing a shark swimming behind you!

Terms and Concepts

Questions

Bibliography

  • Glenn Research Center, NASA. (2022, July 21). What is Drag?. Retrieved August 4, 2023.

This National Geographic article is a good synopsis on biomimetics.

This article discusses Speedo's Fastskin LZR Racer suit:

Materials and Equipment

Experimental Procedure

  1. Go to your local swim club or pool and speak to the supervisor. Let him or her know about your science fair project and ask when the best time would be to conduct your tests. You should conduct your tests at a time when the pool is not crowded.
  2. Ask the supervisor how long the pool is. Record this information in your lab notebook. You should swim at least 25 m to get good measurable times. Use the measuring tape to confirm the length. Be sure to take all your materials with you when you're ready to swim.
  3. Test your speed with your swimsuit on first. Perform some warm-up exercises before starting the swim.
  4. Now start your swim test. Have your volunteer time how long it takes you to swim 25 m. Have your volunteer record the data in your lab notebook in a data table like the one shown below.
    Clothing Swim Time Speed
    Swimsuit Trial 1 
    Trial 2  
    Trial 3  
    Average speed:
    Street clothing Trial 1 
    Trial 2  
    Trial 3  
    Average speed:
  5. Repeat step 4 two more times. Note: Be sure you rest at least 10 minutes between trials!
  6. Now change out of the swimsuit into the shorts and T-shirt. Repeat steps 4–5. Remind your volunteer to record all data in your lab notebook.
  7. Now calculate the speed of your swims by dividing the distance you swam by how long it took to swim the distance. This is shown in Equation 1. Equation 1:
    Speed =       Distance Swam      
    Time to Swim Distance
  8. Plot the data on a scatter plot. Label the x-axis Clothing and the y-axis Speed. Do you see a difference in the speeds? Describe how the water interacted with your street clothes. Describe how drag affected your swim times and speeds. If there was a change in speed, can you calculate the percentage change in speed, shown in Equation 2, below? Equation 2:
    Percentage Change = (Average speed with swimsuit - Average speed with street clothing)
    Average speed with swimsuit
    x 100
icon scientific method

Ask an Expert

Do you have specific questions about your science project? Our team of volunteer scientists can help. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions, offer guidance, and help you troubleshoot.

Variations

  • Does the swim time improve if you try to mimic a fish as much as possible? Wear flippers and swim gloves and redo the project.
  • Experiment with drag and body position. For the first body position, kick with your head down and arms stretched above your head, palms together. How long does it take to swim 25 m? For the second body position, swim holding your arms level with your shoulders. Is there a difference in swim time between the two body positions?
  • Does drag affect how easily you tire? Swim 50 m and calculate the percent change in speed between swimming with a swimsuit and swimming with street clothes. How does this compare with the percentage change in speed when swimming 25 m?

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General citation information is provided here. Be sure to check the formatting, including capitalization, for the method you are using and update your citation, as needed.

MLA Style

Science Buddies Staff. "Drag Racing in the Water." Science Buddies, 4 Aug. 2023, https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Sports_p052/sports-science/drag-racing-water. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

APA Style

Science Buddies Staff. (2023, August 4). Drag Racing in the Water. Retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Sports_p052/sports-science/drag-racing-water


Last edit date: 2023-08-04
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