How to Make a CO2-powered Car for Science Projects
Designing and building carbon dioxide-powered cars teaches kids valuable lessons about physics and engineering, while offering them an opportunity to be creative and artistic. CO2 car projects can be scaled to meet any number of learning and skill levels, while allowing everyone to participate in the same project. For some children simply making the vehicle presents enough of a challenge, whereas for others the engineering challenges of optimizing their cars keep their interests.
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Things You'll Need
- Scratch paper
- Block of balsa wood
- X-Acto knife
- Graph paper
- Sandpaper
- Paint
- Wheels
- CO2 cartridges
- Stopwatch
Instructions
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1
Sketch a rough copy of your design onto a piece of scratch paper. On the scratch paper you can practice variations of paint jobs and body shapes. When you've determined your final body design, carefully transfer it to a sheet of graph paper.
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2
Cut the outline of your car body out from the graph paper. Place the outline on the block of balsa wood, and secure it with tape. Carefully use the X-Acto knife to cut the balsa wood into the desired shape to form the body of your car.
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3
Drill a hole in the back of the car for the CO2 cartridge, along with two holes along the body of the car for the wheels. Sand the body of the car smooth and paint your desired design. Allow the car to dry completely.
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4
Insert the wheels and CO2 cartridge. Measure out a set-length straightaway and place the first car at the beginning of the track. Break the seal on the CO2 cartridge and time the run, using the stopwatch, and record times for each car.
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Tips & Warnings
Never allow children to use X-Acto knives without close adult supervision
Only an adult should break the seal on the CO2 cartridges.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit final lap image by Nicola Gavin from Fotolia.com
