How to Make a Balloon Powered car
Project overview: This is a simple project that teaches Newton's Third Law of Motion which is the principle that “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”
Materials required:
Cardboard: a small piece ( approximately 3 x 6) - (car body)
Plastic bottle cap: 4 caps (wheels)
Wooden skewers: 2 skewers (axles)
Plastic straws: 2 straws (a little wider than the skewers) - (axle holders)
Balloon: 1 party balloon
Tape: Duct tape or masking tape
Instructions:
Cut the two straws so that they are slightly wider than the width of the cardboard base
Tape them across the bottom of the cardboard while placing one at the front and the other at the back.
Thread a skewer through each of the straws and poke a hole through the center of each bottle cap and press them onto the ends of the skewers (The bottle caps should be able to spin freely)
For the engine, slide the neck of the balloon over one end of the fresh, unused straw.
Then, tape it tightly so that no air can escape except through the straw.
To assemble the whole car together, tape the straw/balloon that has been assembled to the top of the car.
Then, blow through the straw to inflate the balloon and pinch the end of the straw to hole the air in.
After that, set the car on a smooth floor and let it go!
Explanation:
This project showcases Newton's Third Law of Motion. The action of the project takes place when the air rushes out of the balloon through the straw, it pushes backward against the atmosphere. Because of this, the atmosphere in turn pushes back against the air and the car. With an equal amount of force applied, the car will be propelled forward!
