Balloon Powered Race Cars



Name___________________________

Balloon Powered Race Cars

Objectives:

• To create a balloon powered race car for maximum speed and distance

• To calculate velocity and acceleration

• To graph distance vs. time for a moving object

Materials provided by teacher:

• A standard balloon

• Lego’s

Rules:

• The car can will be powered by 1 balloon.

• You can build the car base any way you would like with the allotted Lego pieces.

• It must have at least 3 wheels.

• The car may not leave the ground at any time during the race and must move on its wheels – not slide.

• Do not take your car apart after you race. We will display them around the room and vote for the best looking car.

Awards: (for cars that follow the rules and actually move)

• Best looking car (you will vote)

• Fastest car (in first 5 meters)

• Farthest distance traveled

Balloon Car Rubric

1 Balloon 0 1

3 or more wheels 0 1

Car didn’t leave ground 0 1

Car moved on wheels 0 1

Car fully assembled 0 1

Car passed the finish line 0 1 2 3 (extra)

Lego man/woman survived 0 1

Procedure

1) Create a blueprint of the car.

2) List some factors which may be important to consider. (could be wheels, height, balloon size, etc.)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

3) Practice racing your car, but be careful…too much practice can wear your car and your balloon(s) out!!!!

(When it is time to race: The time will be taken at 1 m, 2 m, and the finish line. The total distance will be measured. Each car will be allowed two trial runs. This allows a second chance if the car turns, balloon malfunctions, etc. Many cars need to be raced. If your car takes too long to prepare, another group will race and you will get pushed to the end of the line.)

4) Race your car. You MUST be finished with everything above before you are allowed to race.

5) Fill out the data table for your car.

6) Do the questions and problems in the conclusion.

BLUEPRINT:

Why did you choose the design you did? (At least 2 sentences)

Data Table

|Distance (m) |Time (s) |

|1m | |

|2m | |

|(Total distance) |(Total time) |

Make an X through Time(s) if you did not make it 1m/2m.

**Extra credit points for every meter over 3 m that your car goes!

Mass of your car (g) = _________________

Mass of your car (kg) = ________________

Conclusion – Show all work:

A. Determine your car’s velocity using the formula below:

V (velocity) = d (total distance)/t (total time)

*Use the numbers from your data table above. Your units for velocity will be m/s

Velocity = _____________________

B. Calculate the acceleration of your balloon car using the total time from your data table and the velocity (m/s). Use the acceleration formula below and show all of your work:

Acceleration = ____________________________

Did your design work?

What would you change about your design (if anything), to make your car more efficient and run smoothly.

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