Funny Science, Balloon Rocket Launcher!

Want some cheap and fun science experiment at home? Check this out!

The Balloon Rocket Launcher, simplest possible setup that guarantees to make your little ones laugh, and it's a great chance to teach them about air, pressure and how rocket works.

All you need are:

• 1 balloon (or more in case it pops)

• 1 m of rope or string

• 1 giant straw (those for drinking bubbles drink)

• some cellophane tape

That's it, you are ready to go!

Setting up. 

I tied the rope between the two dining chairs. But I made a mistake by tying a knot on the balloon and poking it with a needle. DON'T repeat my mistake, it resulted in a big blast! LOL. But it gave me a chance to explain the concept of pressure (despite giving everyone a shock).

So I got little captain to help blowing up the balloon, attached it to the straw with some cellophane tapes, and hold on to the balloon opening with his fingers so the air won't escape.

He couldn't wait to let go, as you can see here...

Rocket launched successful!

This one was spinning like a hola hoop.

This was a successful launching with the rocket traveling in straight line.

How does this work?

It's based on the same concept as a rocket, where the compressed air in the chamber (in this case the rubber wall) is released and creating a thrust that sends the balloon rocket to shot in the opposite direction.

Here's how MIT (web.mit.edu) explains it:
"A rocket in its simplest form is a chamber enclosing a gas under pressure. A small opening at one end of the chamber allows the gas to escape, and in doing so provides a thrust that propels the rocket in the opposite direction. A good example of this is a balloon. Air inside a balloon is compressed by the balloon's rubber walls. The air pushes back so that the forces on each side are balanced. When the nozzle is released, air escapes through it and the balloon is propelled in the opposite direction."

What a fun activity, it took only 5 minutes to construct but brought us hours of fun and laughter, we continued playing after returning home from our lunch date.

Hope your LOs enjoy as much as us!

Copyrights © Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones, 2012 - present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any materials/photos within this website without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Funny Science... Fizzy Balloons!

We're doing some simple deco for the party, rainbow colored balloons are one of them. Instead of blowing the balloons we decided to have fun science experienment, using baking soda and vinegar.

When you put the two ingredients together they generate carbon dioxides, which then fill up the ballon. Same technique is applied to making school volcano project (learnt that when watching Art Attack!)

It's easy, all you need is:

• big cup of vineger (I used rice vineger)

• few teaspons of baking soda

• a used milk container (I would suggest to use a smaller container next time)  

• a funnel

The ingredients & tools. Fill the vineger in the empty container and add few teaspoons of baking powder into each balloons using the funnel. Drop the soda into the vineger once you have the balloon secured onto the opening of the container.

The duo anxiously watching the balloon expanding...

Perhaps the soda I used had been kept too long, the mixture did not create enough gas to fill up the balloons, but still we had some good laugh. The duo were super excited when they heard the fizzy sound and kept chanting "ballon grow! Ballon grow!" as they watched the balloon expand.

What's a party without some pretty balloons? We made 2 dozen of them in rainbow colors, consistent with the birthday theme.

Perhaps next time we may consider making volcano instead, who knows? :) thanks to this site that gave the idea on this fun activity http://www.icanteachmychild.com/2012/05/fizzy-balloons/

Copyrights © Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones, 2012 - present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any materials/photos within this website without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.