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 Make a balloon rocket
for your room!

You can print these instructions out by choosing "PRINT" from your browser.

A Balloon Rocket uses air pressure to move forward. The air is forced out of the balloon quickly which creates thrust to move the rocket forward.

To make a working balloon rocket in your own room, you will need:

  • 1 balloon (round ones will work, but the longer "airship" balloons work best)
  • 1 long piece of kite string (about 10-15 feet long)
  • 1 plastic straw
  • tape

Here's what to do:
  1. Tie one end of the string to a chair, door knob, or other support.
  2. Put the other end of the string through the straw.
  3. Pull the string tight and tie it to another support in the room.
  4. Blow up the balloon (but don't tie it) Pinch the end of the balloon and tape it to the straw. You're ready for launch.
  5. Let go and watch the rocket fly!

The project above is a DEMONSTRATION. To make it a true experiment, you can try to answer these questions:

1. Which type of balloon (round, long, etc.) makes the rocket go the farthest?

2. Does the size of the straw affect how long the rocket travels?

3. Does the type of string affect how far the rocket travels? (try fishing line, nylon string, cotton string, etc.)

4. Does the angle of the string affect how far the rocket travels?

See if you can come up with more BALLON ROCKET experiments!