Name: ___________________________________
Balloon Car Lab
Introduction: You will be designing a balloon-powered race car built for maximum speed.
The distance traveled and speed of your racer depends on several factors. All students will
be using the same materials, but how careful you are in making your car will determine
how fast your car will move. In addition to practicing calculating distance, time, and speed,
you will be changing 2 factors on your car to see how it affects the distance travelled and
the speed. You will be changing the amount of air in your balloon and how much weight is
on your car.
Before construction:
1. What things might affect how far a balloon-powered car can travel?
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2. What ideas do you have for building your car? Draw some possible ideas below:
3. Why do you need to make sure the straw points straight back? (think about the direction
you want your car to go)
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Data
Round 1:
Mass of car ___________ kg
Speed Trial
Distance (m)
Trial 1
Trial 2
Average
3
3
3
Time (s)
Speed (m/s)
Distance Trial
Trial 1
Trial 2
Average
Distance (m)
Round 2: Increase the mass of your car using 8 the metal washers. .
Mass of car ___________ kg
Speed Trial
Distance (m)
Trial 1
Trial 2
Average
3
3
3
Time (s)
Speed (m/s)
Distance Trial
Trial 1
Distance (m)
Trial 2
Average
Observations: Draw a neat, full colored diagram of your car in motion and show which
direction the balloon air was going, and which direction your car was moving
Analysis Questions
1. What happened to your data when you increased the mass of your car?
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2. What can you conclude occurs when you increase the mass of your car? (think about friction)
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3. How does the change in speed of the car relate to Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion?
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