- Firstly, attach one end of a string to a post or door handle. Hold the other end of the string at a distance that it remains stretched.
- Pass the straw through the thread and blow up your balloon.
- Stick the straw on the surface of the balloon with a transparent tape/cello tape.
- Once the setup is complete, untie the transparent tape and release your balloon.
- Repeat the experiment, but incline/tilt your string a little and release the balloon
- You can incline the balloon by holding the stretched end a little higher or by tying it to a higher end.
What happens?
The balloon follows Newton's Third Law of Motion which states that “Every action produces an equal and opposite reaction.” When the air rushes out the back of your balloon, it pushes the balloon in the opposite direction. The balloon rocket moves quite easily horizontally, but doesn't move as easily in a vertical direction. It needs more thrust to gain the necessary speed to overcome gravity. Scientists would be unable to send probes (like Voyager, Magellan, and Galileo) into space without basic knowledge of the laws of physics. Certain forces and speeds are needed to break away from Earth's gravity. For a rocket to break away from the Earth's gravitational pull, it must travel at 11.2 km per second, or 25,000 miles per hour! For this reason, the probe must be launched with the help of a rocket. Rocket fuel consists of liquid hydrogen and oxygen. When the fuel is burned, the gases escape downward, thrusting the rocket upward.
