Forces and Motion-Balloons and Film Canisters!

Our 8th grade students have been learning about Newton’s Laws of Motion. Students have explored these laws through a couple of different hands-on activities. 

Students built balloon rockets that could shoot down a string ‘track’. Balloon rockets were tested with different variables, such as how taut the line was, how the balloons were attached to the line, starting position, and weight. 

Another activity was to set off film canister rockets. After a quick introduction to old school plastic film canisters, students mixed water and Alka-Seltzer tablets in them. This caused equal and opposite reactions that propelled the canister across the floor. Students changed the amount of water and Alka-Seltzer in the ‘rockets’ to see how different variables impacted their testing. Many were surprised to find that the largest amount of water did not create the strongest rockets.

Through these activities, students not only experienced Newton’s Laws of Motion, but they also discovered the importance of a baseline test, and how easily variables can impact test results! 

By: Mr. Courvoisier, 8th grade