Archimedes' principle states that an object submerged in a liquid or gas experiences an upward buoyant force, equal to the weight of the liquid displaced by the object.

In other words, the weight-bearing capacity of a boat is closely related to the magnitude of buoyancy it experiences in the liquid. Buoyancy, in turn, is related to the weight of the liquid displaced by the boat.

To make a paper boat capable of bearing more weight in water, the key is to maximize its buoyancy. The buoyant force equals the weight of the water displaced by the object, meaning that the greater the volume of water displaced by the boat, the greater the buoyant force it experiences. As heavier objects are added, the displacement of water increases, leading to a gradual increase in buoyant force.

So, how can you make a paper boat with a high load-bearing capacity?

Construction technique: If the bottom surface of the paper boat is curved upward, creating a space between the bottom surface and the water, the boat is less likely to sink.

The larger the bottom surface area and the higher the sides of the boat, the greater its capacity. Generally, this allows the boat to carry more coins. When placing coins, it's important to distribute them evenly in all directions to minimize pressure per unit area on the paper boat.

Don't worry about using complex materials; all you need is a standard A4 paper to easily achieve this! Below, let's take a look at the detailed construction steps.

1. Prepare a sheet of A4 paper. This is the foundation for making the paper boat and is an essential step. You can find A4 paper at an office supply store or home.

2. Fold the paper in half along the middle to create two equal rectangles.

3. Fold the paper again along the middle to make it into a smaller rectangle.

4. Fold the corners of the folded paper to the middle to form triangles.

5. Fold the bottom rectangle of the paper upwards. Repeat this step on both sides.

6. Open the space below the folded paper to create a diamond shape. This step stabilizes the bottom of the paper boat, improving its load-bearing capacity.

7. Fold the corners of the diamond inward along the dashed lines, as shown in the diagram.

8. You'll get a triangle. Following the principles of triangles, it will be very stable.

9. Pull apart both sides of the fully folded triangle. This step further stabilizes the bottom of the paper boat, enhancing its load-bearing capacity.

10. Finally, you have a small paper boat. Congratulations, you have successfully made the most load-bearing paper boat! Now, you can try putting it in water and observe its load-bearing capacity.