| Make a balloon rocket for your next science fair | | | | loop of fishing line wrapped around two chairs or poles. |
| project using your own air as the energy. | | | | Blow up the balloon and pinch the end again so no air |
| Here are the materials you need to get to complete | | | | escapes. If you have a balloon pump this works |
| this project: | | | | wonders. You can also get these at a local dollar |
| - Fishing line about 30-50 ft. | | | | store. They usually come in a package with long skinny |
| - A bag of various size balloons. You can get these at | | | | balloons to make shaped animals. Pull your balloon |
| a dollar store | | | | rocket to one side of a chair. The end you are pinching |
| - A straw | | | | closed should be closest to the chair. |
| - Tape | | | | Release your fingers and watch your balloon rocket to |
| - 2 chairs or something you can tie the fishing line to | | | | the other side. |
| such as two poles about 10 to 15 ft apart from each | | | | How far did your balloon travel? |
| other | | | | You will want to graph this on paper. Measure the |
| The instructions for this project are pretty simple but | | | | length the balloon traveled. Now get a different size |
| they show a great deal of physics and energy. | | | | balloon and do the same thing. You will want to test |
| Take one of your balloons and blow it up. Do not tie it | | | | different size and shape balloons to see if a certain |
| but pinch off the end and while it is blown up tape the | | | | size or shape is more effective at propelling the rocket |
| straw to the side of the balloon. You will probably want | | | | farther. |
| to secure it in several places to make sure it will stay. | | | | Also you will want to try only blowing the balloon up |
| Let the air out of the balloon slowly. You do not want | | | | half full and see what that does. |
| to make the straw fall off. | | | | So how can you explain this as a science project? |
| Now place your chairs with the backs facing each | | | | This is physics. The law states with every action there |
| other about 10 to 15 feet apart. | | | | is an opposite reaction. So the air releasing from one |
| Thread the fishing line through the straw and then take | | | | end forcefully cause an opposite reaction by pushing |
| the monofilament thread and tie it around the back of | | | | the balloon matter the different direction. Your air |
| the chairs. You will want this to be very tight so the line | | | | blown into the balloon was energy to fuel the rocket. |
| does not sag. You may also want to tie a knot that | | | | When you opened your fingers that stored energy |
| you can easily untie and retie again and again. Now | | | | was released and was able to move the balloon. |
| you will want to make sure there is your balloon with a | | | | |