Week 2 - Rockets

For our second week on the road we explored the concepts of flight by testing two different styles of rockets- a slingshot rocket and a water bottle rocket.  We taught the students about the importance of motion used in the rockets, as well as drag and weight components of the provided materials. We talked about the applications of rockets and how they are used today for satellites and space exploration. We also discussed aerospace engineering and other types of jobs that revolve around flight.

1st activity - Slingshot rocket

Campers were given pool noodles as their rockets’ core. They learned how to setup their elastics as their propellant using the concepts of kinetic and potential energy. The youth then chose from various crafting materials to make wings to help aid their rocket while in flight. They came up with so many different designs and were extremely successful and creative!

2nd activity - Water bottle rocket

For this activity campers were given a 2 litre pop bottle and were encouraged to create a larger scale wing design that would withstand a launch from our launching station. They then got to experiment with how much water to use as the propellant in their bottles. We observed air pressure and how it affects a closed system by watching the bottle expand. Finally, the youth got to observe the air bubbles which expanded the bottle, increasing the pressure until the rocket launched. Heads’ up!