Handheld Water Bottle Rocket & Launcher

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In this activity, learners build handheld rockets and launchers out of PVC pipes and plastic bottles. Use this activity to demonstrate acceleration, air pressure, and Newton's Laws of Motion. Note: a PVC cutter, side cutters, PVC cement glue and other tools are required to build this project.
Safety note: These rockets should only be launched in large, open, outdoor areas. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
1 to 2 hours
Estimated Materials Cost:
Over $20 per student
Age Range:
Ages 6 - 18
Resource Types:
Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan
Language:
English

Materials List (per student)

  • 1 3/8" one-hole rubber stopper
  • 2 valve stems, from an inner tube
  • 4 small zip ties
  • 10' clear tubing with 3/16" inner diameter & 5/16" outer diameter
  • 5" 3/4" thick-walled PVC pipe
  • 27" 1/2" PVC pipe (horizontals)
  • 2 1/2" x 6" PVC pipes (verticals)
  • 2 1/2" T couplings, non-threaded
  • 2 plastic bottles (soda bottle)
  • 2 pieces of thick paper or cardstock
  • PVC cutter
  • PVC cement glue
  • scissors
  • utility knife
  • bike pump
  • side cutters
  • hot glue gun

Keywords

Subjects

  • Engineering and Technology
    • Engineering
      • Aerospace Engineering
      • Transportation Engineering
  • Physical Sciences
    • Energy
    • Motion and Forces
      • Gravity
      • Momentum and Velocity
      • Acceleration
      • Projectile Motion
      • Newton's Laws
    • States of Matter
      • Liquids
      • Gases
    • Structure and Properties of Matter
      • Mass and Weight
      • Volume and Density
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations
  • The Nature of Technology
    • The Design Process

Informal Categories

  • Model Building
  • Outdoor Activity
  • Toys
  • Transportation

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • be mobile
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Includes alignment to state and/or national standards:

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

  • Fresno Community Science Workshop

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Fresno Community Science Workshop, 2012