Balloon Rocket

In this experiment, students build a balloon-powered rocket to explore Newton’s Laws of Motion, particularly Newton’s Third and Second Laws.

In Test 1, a balloon taped to a straw on a string is released, propelling itself forward as air rushes out the back—demonstrating that every action (air pushed out) has an equal and opposite reaction (balloon moves forward).

In Test 2, small objects are added to increase the rocket’s mass, and students observe how this extra weight affects its acceleration. By comparing both tests and analyzing real-world data, students gain insight into how force, mass, and acceleration interact in rocket motion.

Learning Objectives

Standards Alignment + Connections

Next Generation Science Standards Connections

HS-PS2-1: Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Connections

P.4B: Describe and analyze motion in one dimension using equations and graphical vector addition with the concepts of distance, displacement, speed, average velocity, instantaneous velocity, frames of reference, and acceleration

P.4C: Calculate the effect of forces on objects, including the law of inertia, the relationship between force and acceleration, and the nature of force pairs between objects using methods, including free-body force diagrams

How to Run the Experiment

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