Alternative Rocket Car Project

You will be designing a diagram and writing a report discussing the planning,
construction, testing, and improvements of a rocket car and how Newton’s laws of
motion and the forces of gravity and friction affect it. The materials that can be used
are listed below.

Explain how when releasing an inflated balloon into the air, what makes the balloon
move forward. Explain how the balloon moves forward by expelling air backward.

Brainstorm a vehicle design and think about how to power a vehicle without using
any form of electricity or the force of gravity. Also, think about ways to keep the
vehicle going in a straight line.

Discuss how Newton’s third law of motion relates to your design.

Think of ways you can apply Newton’s second law of motion to your project. Discuss
ideas for increasing the force on your vehicle and decreasing the mass of your vehicle
in order its increase acceleration.

Include a diagram and make sure to have labeled arrows to show all the forces acting
upon the vehicle. Also add arrows to show the force exerted by the vehicle and the
force exerted on the vehicle. Explain how all the forces in your diagram operate.

Discuss ways you can reduce friction in your vehicle, such as sanding rough areas or
using a lubricant.
Materials and Preparation
u Students will need a variety of materials to build their Rocket Car. Some ideas are
scissors, compass, ruler, tape, string, Styrofoam deli trays, cardboard, cup lids, balloons,
toothpicks, paper towel rolls and/or toilet paper rolls, rubber bands, and straws (both
flexible and straight).
Unit 5 (Ch. 13) – Motion & Forces
Bach
02/22/10
Rocket Car Project
u Introduction
Imagine what would happen if you and a friend were standing on roller skates and you
gave your friend a forward push. What would happen to you? Would you stand still or
would you travel backward? The backward motion that you would experience can be
explained by Newton’s third law of motion, which describes an equal and opposite
reaction to every action.
In this project, you will use Newton’s third law of motion to design a vehicle.
This vehicle must travel forward 1.5 meters by pushing backward on the floor, the
air, or some other object. At the close of this project, you will demonstrate your
vehicle and explain its features to the class. We will also have a race.
u Objective
The students will experiment with energy and forces to design an energy-efficient
vehicle. They will construct a model to experiment with variables that affect energy
transfer. They will observe, predict and infer (based on their observations) ways to make
the car more energy efficient. They will make measurements and communicate their
results.
u Materials
Students will need a variety of materials to build their Rocket Car. Some ideas are scissors,
compass, ruler, tape, string, Styrofoam deli trays, cardboard, cup lids, balloons, toothpicks,
paper towel rolls and/or toilet paper rolls, rubber bands, and straws (flexible and straight).
u Project Rules
1. You are only to use the materials provided to you. You have 3 days to make a
diagram, design a vehicle in any way you can, complete the data sheet, and answer
questions based on your data. The only restriction is that you must use the balloon as
your means of moving the car.
2. Be creative. You don’t necessarily need 4 wheels. Have your teacher approve your
vehicle design plans before you begin construction of your vehicle.
3. Your vehicle must use Newton’s third law of motion to move forward; it must move
forward by pushing backward on the floor, the air, or some other object.
4. Your vehicle must travel forward 1.5 meters and completely cross the finish line. The
path of your vehicle should stay within a width of 1 meter.
5. You are not allowed to interfere with the movement of your vehicle. You cannot give
your vehicle a push as you launch it, and you cannot help it in any way as it travels
from the starting line to the finish line.
6. You cannot use any form of electricity or the pull of gravity to move your vehicle.
This means that you cannot use a downhill ramp to get your vehicle started.
7. Your vehicle does not have to move along the ground. If your vehicle moves through
the air, you could use a string stretched between two chairs as a “track” to guide your
vehicle.
Unit 5 (Ch. 13) – Motion & Forces
Bach
02/22/10
u Grading (50 points)
1. Design of rocket car/participation. (10 points)
2. Does the vehicle travel the 1.5 meter distance as noted above. (10 points)
Extra credit given for the rocket car that travels the greatest distance, and for the
rocket car that has the greatest speed.
3. Diagram (10 points)
 For the class presentation, you must have diagrams of your vehicle that illustrate the
forces that act upon it.
 Make sure to have labeled arrows to show all the forces acting upon the vehicle. Also add
arrows to show the force exerted by the vehicle and the force exerted on the vehicle.
 Explain how all the forces in your diagram operate.
4. Data Sheet (10 points)
5. Analyze and Conclude (10 points)
u Data Sheet
Trial
Distance (cm)
Time (sec)
Speed (cm/sec)
1
2
3
Mass of Vehicle = __________(g)
= __________(kg) (Use triple beam scale)
Acceleration of Vehicle = __________________(cm/sec/sec)
Acceleration = Final Velocity – Original Velocity
Time
u Analyze and Conclude (Answer these on separate sheet of paper)
any modifications that you made to improve the performance of your vehicle.
State Newton’s 1st law of motion.
Discuss how Newton’s 1st law of motion relates to your project.
What is the formula for Newton’s 2nd law of motion?
Using your data above, determine the force which accelerated your vehicle (use
correct units – force is always measured in…?)
6. Discuss how Newton’s 2nd law of motion applies to your design. Think of changes
you made and how they affected mass, acceleration, and force.
7. Discuss how Newton’s 3rd law of motion relates to your rocket car.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Explain
Unit 5 (Ch. 13) – Motion & Forces
Bach
02/22/10
Unit 5 (Ch. 13) – Motion & Forces
Bach
02/22/10