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Balloon Lab

This science lab document outlines an experiment to test how fast a balloon attached to a straw can travel along a string when the air inside is released. Students are asked to form a hypothesis about how changing variables will affect the balloon's speed. They will collect data on the distance and time taken for 10 trials and graph the average speeds. Questions at the end ask students to identify the action and reaction forces involved based on Newton's Third Law of Motion and how changing the amount of air in the balloon affects these forces.

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Heather L. Reyes
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154 views5 pages

Balloon Lab

This science lab document outlines an experiment to test how fast a balloon attached to a straw can travel along a string when the air inside is released. Students are asked to form a hypothesis about how changing variables will affect the balloon's speed. They will collect data on the distance and time taken for 10 trials and graph the average speeds. Questions at the end ask students to identify the action and reaction forces involved based on Newton's Third Law of Motion and how changing the amount of air in the balloon affects these forces.

Uploaded by

Heather L. Reyes
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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8th grade science

Name ______________________ Date _______________________ Block ______________

Balloon Rocket Lab Part 1


A rocket's movement depends on Newton's Third Law of Motion For every action there is an
equal and opposite reaction. When a rocket blows out gas at high speed in one direction (action
force), the rocket is pushed in the opposite direction (reaction force). In other words, when there
is a force on one thing in one direction, another force is acting on something else in another
direction. The gas pushes against the rocket and the rocket pushes back just as hard against the
gas.
Objective: To have a balloon travel over a measured distance in the shortest possible time. The
balloon will be attached to a soda straw. The soda straw will have a length of string running
through it. The bottle will then travel along a length of fishing line or thread after being filled
with air, and the air inside then being allowed to escape. Somehow, you must come up with a
way for your balloon to travel from start to finish in the quickest way possible using only the
pressure of air inside it to propel it forward.
Problem: How fast can the balloon go?
Hypothesis :
If ___________________________________________________________________
then _________________________________________________________________
Variables: By the time you finish this experiment, you will need to identify the different types
of variables present in this investigation. Consult your notes for definitions of the types of
variables.
Independent Variables:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Dependent Variables:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Controlled Variables:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

G.Baker www.thesciencequeen.net

8th grade science


Materials: balloon, string/fishing line, scissors, tape, straw.
Procedure:
1. Blow up the balloon and clamp it shut with the clothespin again.
2. Thread the string through the drinking straw. Tape the long side of the balloon along the
length of the straw.
3. Have two people hold the ends of the string. Make sure the string is stretched tight.
4. Slide the balloon-straw system down the string until the clamped end reaches the end of
the string held by a person.
5. Release the clothespin. Record your observations.
6. Blow up the balloon and repeat steps 5 and 6.

Data
Trial

Distance traveled Time in seconds


in m
(to the nearest .
10

Average Speed

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Average

G.Baker www.thesciencequeen.net

Acceleration

8th grade science


Please graph your data (average speed for each trial) using a line graph.
Title : ______________________________________________________________________

G.Baker www.thesciencequeen.net

8th grade science


Questions:
1. What is the action force in this investigation?
________________________________________________________________
2. What is the reaction force in this investigation?
________________________________________________________________
3. What is the action force acting on in this investigation?
________________________________________________________________
4. What is the reaction force acting on in this investigation?
________________________________________________________________
5. What happened when the amount of force (amount of air in the balloon) was changed?
________________________________________________________________
6. Explain your answer to number 5 using Newtons 3rd Law.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
____
7. Think about a real rocket launching at NASA. What are the action and reaction forces in
the launch? What are the forces acting upon?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
____

G.Baker www.thesciencequeen.net

8th grade science

Overall Conclusion: State if your original hypothesis was correct or incorrect using specific
references from the lab to support your answer.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

G.Baker www.thesciencequeen.net

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