ScienceMuseumGifts.com - Science Gifts - Science Toys
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Experiment of the Month #3 – Forces
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Have you have
ever stepped off a small boat that has not been properly tied to a pier?
If so, you’ve experienced a great example of Newton’s Third Law of
Motion! Our newest experiment, Balloon Rocket Car, explores this law:
every force has an equal and opposite force. Rocket cars are a lot of
fun. You can share your knowledge with friends to organize a race. No
batteries or electricity required; your rocket cars will run on physics!
Background:
A rocket,
in its simplest form, is a chamber enclosing a gas under pressure. A
small opening at one end of the chamber allows the gas to escape, and,
in so doing, provides a thrust that propels the rocket in the opposite
direction. A good example of this is a balloon. Air inside a balloon is
compressed by the balloon's rubber walls.
The air
pushes back so that the inward and outward forces are balanced. When the
nozzle is released, air escapes and the forces become unbalanced. The
action of the escaping gas propels the balloon in a rocket flight. The
balloon's flight is highly erratic because it has no structures, such as
fins, to stabilize it. When we think of rockets, we rarely think of
balloons. Instead, our attention is drawn to the giant vehicles that
carry satellites into orbit and spacecraft to the Moon and planets.
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Balloon Rocket Car |
Concept: |
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This
activity explores Newton's 3rd law that states every force has an equal
and opposite force. In this experiment we can explore what the opposite
force would be, based on what direction the air is released from a
balloon.
Objective: control the
direction of the car without moving the position of the balloon.
Materials:
4
straight pins
Styrofoam meat tray
Cellophane tape
One flexible straw
Scissors
Drawing compass
Magic marker
Small balloon |
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Procedure:
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Cut out a rectangle 7.5 by 18 cm in
size and four circles 7.5 cm in diameter from the flat surface of a
styrofoam meat tray.
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Push one pin into the center of
each circle and then into the edge of the rectangle as shown in the
picture. The pins become axles for the wheels.
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Insert the straw into the balloon
and seal the balloon's nozzle with tape to the straw.
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Mount the balloon to the car as
shown. Inflate the balloon and release to see the car propelled
along a flat surface by action/reaction.
Questions:
What happens when you change the position of the straw to the left or
right?
What would you have to do to make the Rocket Car reverse direction? |
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Now for
the fun part! Share this riddle with your other science friends:
Why did the chicken cross the road?
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Issac Newton1: Chickens at rest tend to stay at rest. Chickens in
motion tend to cross the road. Objects
at rest will stay at rest, and objects in motion will stay in motion
in a straight line unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
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Issac Newton2: It was pushed on the road.
Force
is equal to mass multiplied by acceleration.
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Issac Newton3: It was pushed on the road by another chicken, which
went away from the road.
For
every force there is always an opposite and equal force.
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If you
enjoyed this experiment, check out our Rocket Car Experiment Kit! This
fun to assemble car uses a simple mixture of baking soda and vinegar
start a powerful chemical reaction that will propel it over 200 feet!
Go there now! |
Rocket Car Kit |
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