Bottle Blast Off
Source Institutions
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The Exploratorium
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With little more than a plastic bottle, some vinyl tubing, and a length of PVC pipe, make a rocket and a rocket launcher and investigate how rockets fly. The activity includes three short online videos: Introduction, Step-by-Step Instructions, and What's Going On. Also available: a concept map and a "Going Further" document that suggests variations on this activity. For planning purposes, each learner will probably want to make their own rocket, but you'll need only two rocket launchers per group (learners take turns launching their rockets).
- 45 to 60 minutes
- 30 to 45 minutes
- 1 cent - $1 per student
- Ages 8 - 14
- Activity
- English
Quick Guide
Materials List (per student)
- Two empty 2-liter plastic soda bottles from the recycling bin
- About 1 meter (3 feet) of clear flexible vinyl tubing with 1/2 inch inner diameter and 5/8 inch outer diameter (the type of tubing doesn’t matter, as long as you can tape one end to the neck of the soda bottle and the other end to the PVC pipe)
- About 60 centimeters (cm) of PVC pipe with 1/2 inch inner diameter
- Duct tape
- Two sheets of 8 1/2" x 11" paper for each person (recycled paper is OK)
- About 30 cm (1 foot) of PVC pipe for every group of five people (the same type of PVC pipe you used for your rocket launcher)
- Clear tape
- Scissors (at least one pair for each group of three)
- A 3" x 5" index card for each person
- Pens or pencils
- A meter stick or some way to measure one meter
- A ball of string
- Rulers (at least one for each group of three)
Subjects
- Engineering and Technology
- Engineering
- Aerospace Engineering
- Engineering
- Physical Sciences
- Motion and Forces
- Acceleration
- Projectile Motion
- Motion and Forces
Informal Categories
- Outdoor Activity
- Toys
Audience
To use this activity, learners need to:
- see
- be mobile
- touch
Learning styles supported:
- Involves hands-on or lab activities
Other
Components that are part of this resource:
This resource is part of:
Access Rights:
- Free access
By:
- The Exploratorium
Source Collection:
- Science After School Consumer's Guide
Rights:
- All Rights Reserved, The Exploratorium, ©2007
Funding Source:
- National Science Foundation
