diff --git a/js/buoyancy/model/BottleOrBoat.ts b/js/buoyancy/model/BottleOrBoat.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b5b4bc5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/buoyancy/model/BottleOrBoat.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// Copyright 2024, University of Colorado Boulder
+
+/**
+ * BottleOrBoat is a string literal union enumeration that describes whether the sim is showing the bottle or boat scene
+ * in the Buoyancy - Applications screen.
+ *
+ * @author Sam Reid (PhET Interactive Simulations)
+ */
+export const BottleOrBoatValues = [ 'bottle', 'boat' ] as const;
+
+export type BottleOrBoat = typeof BottleOrBoatValues[number];
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/js/buoyancy/model/BuoyancyApplicationsModel.ts b/js/buoyancy/model/BuoyancyApplicationsModel.ts
index 31aa2e9e..47209ff0 100644
--- a/js/buoyancy/model/BuoyancyApplicationsModel.ts
+++ b/js/buoyancy/model/BuoyancyApplicationsModel.ts
@@ -7,12 +7,8 @@
  */
 
 import DerivedProperty from '../../../../axon/js/DerivedProperty.js';
-import EnumerationProperty from '../../../../axon/js/EnumerationProperty.js';
-import Property from '../../../../axon/js/Property.js';
 import Matrix3 from '../../../../dot/js/Matrix3.js';
 import Vector2 from '../../../../dot/js/Vector2.js';
-import Enumeration from '../../../../phet-core/js/Enumeration.js';
-import EnumerationValue from '../../../../phet-core/js/EnumerationValue.js';
 import Cube from '../../common/model/Cube.js';
 import DensityBuoyancyModel, { DensityBuoyancyModelOptions } from '../../common/model/DensityBuoyancyModel.js';
 import Material from '../../common/model/Material.js';
@@ -25,23 +21,14 @@ import Range from '../../../../dot/js/Range.js';
 import NumberProperty from '../../../../axon/js/NumberProperty.js';
 import TReadOnlyProperty from '../../../../axon/js/TReadOnlyProperty.js';
 import BooleanIO from '../../../../tandem/js/types/BooleanIO.js';
-
-// constants
-// REVIEW: Recommended to use string literal enumeration. We can do so here since it is not encumbered by density API.
-export class Scene extends EnumerationValue {
-  public static readonly BOTTLE = new Scene();
-  public static readonly BOAT = new Scene();
-
-  public static readonly enumeration = new Enumeration( Scene, {
-    phetioDocumentation: 'Bottle or boat scene'
-  } );
-}
+import { BottleOrBoat, BottleOrBoatValues } from './BottleOrBoat.js';
+import StringUnionProperty from '../../../../axon/js/StringUnionProperty.js';
 
 export type BuoyancyApplicationsModelOptions = DensityBuoyancyModelOptions;
 
 export default class BuoyancyApplicationsModel extends DensityBuoyancyModel {
 
-  public readonly sceneProperty: Property<Scene>;
+  public readonly sceneProperty: StringUnionProperty<BottleOrBoat>;
 
   public readonly bottle: Bottle;
   public readonly block: Cube;
@@ -58,7 +45,8 @@ export default class BuoyancyApplicationsModel extends DensityBuoyancyModel {
       usePoolScale: true
     }, options ) );
 
-    this.sceneProperty = new EnumerationProperty( Scene.BOTTLE, {
+    this.sceneProperty = new StringUnionProperty<BottleOrBoat>( 'bottle', {
+      validValues: BottleOrBoatValues,
       tandem: options.tandem.createTandem( 'sceneProperty' )
     } );
 
@@ -113,15 +101,15 @@ export default class BuoyancyApplicationsModel extends DensityBuoyancyModel {
 
     // This instance lives for the lifetime of the simulation, so we don't need to remove this listener
     this.sceneProperty.link( ( scene, previousScene ) => {
-      this.bottle.internalVisibleProperty.value = scene === Scene.BOTTLE;
-      this.boat.internalVisibleProperty.value = scene === Scene.BOAT;
-      this.block.internalVisibleProperty.value = scene === Scene.BOAT;
-      this.scale2!.internalVisibleProperty.value = scene === Scene.BOTTLE;
+      this.bottle.internalVisibleProperty.value = scene === 'bottle';
+      this.boat.internalVisibleProperty.value = scene === 'boat';
+      this.block.internalVisibleProperty.value = scene === 'boat';
+      this.scale2!.internalVisibleProperty.value = scene === 'bottle';
 
       // When switching from boat to bottle scene, subtract the scale volume from the pool and vice versa (-1 and 1)
       // But don't do it when the bottle scene is first loaded (0)
-      const plusMinusScaleVolume = scene === Scene.BOTTLE ?
-                             previousScene === Scene.BOAT ? -1 : 0 : 1;
+      const plusMinusScaleVolume = scene === 'bottle' ?
+                                   previousScene === 'boat' ? -1 : 0 : 1;
       this.pool.liquidVolumeProperty.value += plusMinusScaleVolume * this.scale2!.volumeProperty.value;
       this.pool.liquidVolumeProperty.setInitialValue( this.pool.liquidVolumeProperty.value );
 
diff --git a/js/buoyancy/view/BuoyancyApplicationsScreenView.ts b/js/buoyancy/view/BuoyancyApplicationsScreenView.ts
index 587f58e2..fc7e58d7 100644
--- a/js/buoyancy/view/BuoyancyApplicationsScreenView.ts
+++ b/js/buoyancy/view/BuoyancyApplicationsScreenView.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ import BuoyancyDisplayOptionsPanel from '../../common/view/BuoyancyDisplayOption
 import MaterialMassVolumeControlNode from '../../common/view/MaterialMassVolumeControlNode.js';
 import densityBuoyancyCommon from '../../densityBuoyancyCommon.js';
 import DensityBuoyancyCommonStrings from '../../DensityBuoyancyCommonStrings.js';
-import BuoyancyApplicationsModel, { Scene } from '../model/BuoyancyApplicationsModel.js';
+import BuoyancyApplicationsModel from '../model/BuoyancyApplicationsModel.js';
 import DensityAccordionBox from './DensityAccordionBox.js';
 import arrayRemove from '../../../../phet-core/js/arrayRemove.js';
 import BottleView from './BottleView.js';
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ export default class BuoyancyApplicationsScreenView extends DensityBuoyancyScree
       listener: () => {
         model.resetBoatScene();
       },
-      visibleProperty: new DerivedProperty( [ model.sceneProperty ], scene => scene === Scene.BOAT ),
+      visibleProperty: new DerivedProperty( [ model.sceneProperty ], scene => scene === 'boat' ),
       tandem: tandem.createTandem( 'resetSceneButton' )
     } );
     this.addChild( resetSceneButton );
@@ -291,8 +291,8 @@ export default class BuoyancyApplicationsScreenView extends DensityBuoyancyScree
 
     // This instance lives for the lifetime of the simulation, so we don't need to remove this listener
     model.sceneProperty.link( scene => {
-      rightBottleContent.visible = scene === Scene.BOTTLE;
-      rightBoatContent.visible = scene === Scene.BOAT;
+      rightBottleContent.visible = scene === 'bottle';
+      rightBoatContent.visible = scene === 'boat';
     } );
 
     const displayedMysteryMaterials = [
@@ -305,10 +305,10 @@ export default class BuoyancyApplicationsScreenView extends DensityBuoyancyScree
 
 
     model.sceneProperty.link( scene => {
-      const materials = scene === Scene.BOTTLE ? [
+      const materials = scene === 'bottle' ? [
         model.bottle.interiorMaterialProperty,
         model.bottle.materialProperty
-      ] : scene === Scene.BOAT ? [
+      ] : scene === 'boat' ? [
         model.block.materialProperty,
         model.boat.materialProperty
       ] : [];
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ export default class BuoyancyApplicationsScreenView extends DensityBuoyancyScree
       densityAccordionBox.setReadoutItems( materials.map( material => {
         return { readoutItem: material };
       } ) );
-      const submergedObjects = scene === Scene.BOTTLE ?
+      const submergedObjects = scene === 'bottle' ?
         [ {
           readoutItem: model.bottle,
           readoutNameProperty: DensityBuoyancyCommonStrings.bottleStringProperty
@@ -347,12 +347,12 @@ export default class BuoyancyApplicationsScreenView extends DensityBuoyancyScree
 
     const bottleBoatRadioButtonGroup = new RectangularRadioButtonGroup( model.sceneProperty, [
       {
-        value: Scene.BOTTLE,
+        value: 'bottle',
         createNode: () => BuoyancyApplicationsScreenView.getBottleIcon(),
         tandemName: 'bottleRadioButton'
       },
       {
-        value: Scene.BOAT,
+        value: 'boat',
         createNode: () => BuoyancyApplicationsScreenView.getBoatIcon(),
         tandemName: 'boatRadioButton'
       }