Balloon Race Car Project 2016

During our Force & Motion unit of study, students were asked to design and build a race car that would be powered by nothing more than a simple 9-inch balloon. All cars had to be the students' own invention. No pre-made cars or kits were allowed! To be successful, students had to apply their knowledge of friction, mass, acceleration, Newton's Laws of Motion, and much more! During the races we collected data (times and distances) on each of the cars and then calculated their speeds to determine winners. Finally, students composed a written reflection on their journey, explaining their trial and error process and what they learned along the way. A lot of work, but also a lot of fun!