Archie – A 3D Printed Tool for Teaching Archimedes’ Principle

Archimedes’ principle can be a complicated idea to grasp for students. To help with the process, we offer a simple 3D printed tool which can be used for teaching Archimedes’ principle. A detailed description of the tool is given, as well as basic measurements showing its capabilities and the results to expect by using it. Also, a list of activities is given which shows how Archie can be used in a high school environment. The activities are focused on students discovering Archimedes’ principle on their own, while paralleling some of the original statements made by Archimedes about floating objects. A few activities are also offered focused on strengthening and verifying students’ gained understanding of the principle using Archie. Archie is a simple 3D-printed tool which can help students achieve a better understanding of Archimedes’ principle and how objects behave in liquids.