How to Build a Balloon Rocket Car
A rocket moves at great speeds because gas under high pressure exits a nozzle at one end and pushes the rocket in the opposite direction. You can make a balloon-powered rocket car from a few items found around the house and an ordinary party balloon that will duplicate this process, although on a much tinier scale. Once constructed, your rocket car will speed along the ground as it demonstrates the principle of how a rocket works.
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Things You'll Need
- 1/2-inch wide party balloon
- 16-oz. plastic water bottle
- Utility knife
- Four water bottle caps
- Drinking straws
- Bonding glue
- Duct tape
Instructions
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1
Put the newspaper down on a table. Use the utility knife to cut a hole 4 inches down from the top of the plastic water bottle on one side. Use the utility knife to cut a second hole 10 inches down from the first hole. Use the utility knife to cut two holes on the other side of the bottle that correspond to the two holes just made.
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2
Push a drinking straw through each of the two holes on one side so that the ends exit the holes on the other side.
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3
Use bonding glue to attach the inside of a water bottle cap to each of the ends of the straws. Let the bonding glue dry for at least a day.
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4
Place the plastic water bottle down on the newspaper with the water bottle caps on the bottom. Put a drinking straw against the top of the plastic water bottle with one end against the mouth of the bottle.
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5
Tape the end of the drinking straw to the mouth of the plastic water bottle with duct tape. Tape the middle of the drinking straw to the plastic water bottle with duct tape.
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6
Insert the other end of the drinking straw into the skinny end of the party balloon. Tape the end to the party balloon using duct tape.
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7
Put your mouth against the end of the drinking straw that is by the plastic water bottle's mouth. Blow up the balloon. Remove your mouth and put your finger against the end of the drinking straw to keep the air from escaping.
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8
Place the plastic water bottle down on the floor. Take your finger away from the end of the drinking straw and watch as the balloon rocket car zooms away.
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Tips & Warnings
Attaching more straws to the party balloon will vary the speed of the balloon rocket car.
Adult supervision is necessary when using the utility knife if the person making the balloon rocket car is underage.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit blue balloon image by Vita Vanaga from Fotolia.com
