What is the science behind balloon rockets?

According to Newton’s Third Law of Motion, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, as the gas is released from the balloon, it pushes against the outside air, and the outside air pushes back. As a result, the rocket is propelled forward by the opposing force. This opposing force is thrust.

What is the purpose of the balloon rocket experiment?

This experiment is all about the air and thrust! Once you let out the air inside of your balloon, it creates a forward motion called THRUST! Thrust is a pushing force created by energy that pushes your balloon all the way across your string!

Why balloons travel further with more air?

The bigger balloons move farther because they can push more air. While all of your balloons pushed air out at roughly the same speed, the bigger balloons had more “fuel,” allowing them to exert force for a longer period of time.

What is the independent variable in the balloon rocket experiment?

The independent variable, therefore, was the type of string, and the dependent variable was its velocity. In order to compare velocities, I had to measure the distance the balloon rocket traveled and the time it went that distance.

What is the conclusion for the balloon rocket?

CONCLUSION: Our hypothesis was that if you placed a balloon with a grater volume on the rocket, then, the rocket would travel a longer distance. Our hypothesis was supported, it was correct. Our main findings were that the balloons with more air take more time to launch but still, travel a longer distance.

How does mass affect the distance traveled by the balloon?

The more mass you add, the harder it will be to get the balloon moving. If you put too much mass on the balloon, the force generated by the air escaping from the balloon won’t be enough to move the combined mass of the balloon and weights.

How does mass affect the time travel of the balloon?

What forces are acting on a balloon rocket?

There are two main forces acting on the balloon rocket car: Friction and Air resistance. The friction force is the resistance between two objects sliding against each other.

What made the balloon move?

The air trapped inside the balloon pushes out the open end, causing the balloon to move forward. The force of the air escaping is the “action”; the movement of the balloon forward is the “reaction” predicted by Newton’s Third Law of Motion.

How does the volume of air in a balloon affect the distance it travels?

So the bigger balloons move further because they can push more air. The bigger balloons have more “fuel” allowing them to exert force for a longer period of time. The rocket with the balloon that has a bigger volume of air travels a longer distance than smaller balloons.

Does weight affect air resistance?

You might think this is because the air resistance force depends on the mass, but you’d be wrong– it’s exactly the opposite. Air resistance is insignificant for heavy objects precisely because it doesn’t depend on the mass.

Why do objects with more mass fall faster?

Thus, more massive objects fall faster than less massive objects because they are acted upon by a larger force of gravity; for this reason, they accelerate to higher speeds until the air resistance force equals the gravity force.

How does Newton’s second law apply to a balloon rocket?

When the balloon pushes the air out, the air pushes right back on the balloon with an equal and opposite force. The air goes back, the balloon goes forward. The more air there is inside the balloon, the longer it will be able to push with that force, and the more motion the rocket will get.