Sir Isaac Newton laid the foundation for the modern science of rocketry near the end of the 17th century. Newton’s Laws of Motion are essential to rocket flight. Here are two of them:
- 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.
In other words, the forces pushing a rocket up must be stronger than the force of gravity pulling it down.
- For every action there is always an opposite and equal reaction.
When an action takes place, like gases escaping from the rocket, a reaction follows – the rocket rises in the air.
The principles of rocketry apply to more than flying rockets – with this project you can make a ‘rocket car’ that is powered by pressurized gas (air in a balloon!)
- Video (1:27) – descriptions, demonstration
- Directions – material, steps
What You Need:
- 16-20 oz. plastic water bottle
- Drinking straws
- Wooden shish-kabob skewers
- 4 plastic bottle caps
- Balloon
- Duct tape or masking tape
- Nail, hammer, knife, scissors
engineering 4 kids 