Building a Balloon-Powered Race Car

Creating a balloon-powered race car is not just a fun activity; it's also a great way to learn about physics, energy, and engineering!

What You Need:

• A balloon
• A paper tube (like a toilet paper roll)
• Some buttons (to use as wheels)
• A straw
• A piece of paper
• Scissors
• Tape or glue

Steps to Create Your Car:

1. Prepare the Base: Take the paper tube and use it as the main body of your race car. This will provide a sturdy structure and a space to attach the wheels.
2. Create the Wheels: Attach the buttons to the ends of the paper tube. These will act as the wheels. Make sure they can spin freely! You can poke a hole in the paper tube to fit the button securely or use tape to hold them on.
3. Attach the Straw: Take your straw and cut it to a length that can fit from one end of the tube to the other, ideally in the middle. This straw will need to be angled so that you can attach the balloon to one end for propulsion.
4. Prepare the Balloon: Inflate your balloon but do not tie it. Instead, pinch the opening to keep the air from escaping. Attach the balloon to one end of the straw with tape, ensuring that it is securely fastened (the opening of the balloon should be at the end of the straw).
5. Create a Launcher: Take a piece of paper and fold it to create a small flap. This will help hold the balloon in place as you prepare to release the car.
6. Ready, Set, Go! Place the entire car on a flat surface. Hold the flap or the end of the straw to keep the air inside the balloon. When you’re ready to race, let go of the flap, allowing the air to push out through the straw, propelling your car forward!

What Did You Learn?

By building this car, you can learn about:

• Potential & Kinetic Energy: The energy stored in the compressed balloon (potential energy) transforms into the movement of the car (kinetic energy).
• Forces: The force of the air escaping from the balloon pushes against the air outside, propelling your car forward.

Have fun experimenting with your design. You can try changing the size of the balloon or the number of wheels to see how it affects the speed of your race car!