To problem solve ways to lift a load using a balloon rocket.
Students construct a rocket out of a balloon and use it to carry a paper clip payload.
This activity works best with students working in teams of three or four. It will take approximately one hour to complete. The activity focuses on the scientific processes of experimentation. The mass of a rocket can make the difference between a successful flight and a rocket that just sits on the launch pad. As a basic principle of rocket flight, a rocket will leave the ground when the engine produces a thrust that is greater than the total mass of the vehicle.