Up, up, up! – Build and launch your own rockets

Rockets are used to launch satellites, probes, and even astronauts into space. A rocket launch is extremely impressive. Thousands of kilograms are burned in just a few minutes in order to provide the force that the rocket needs in order to overcome the gravity of the Earth.

Rockets provide an exciting context to learn about science and technology. In this set of activities you will design and build three different types of rockets and launch them in order to investigate what variables affect the trajectory and distance travelled.

You will build 3 types of rockets:
A simple paper rocket launched by blowing into a straw
A more complex paper rocket launched using air pressure from a bottle
A chemical rocket launched by a chemical reaction between water and an effervescent tablet

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Download full classroom activity (with answers):

Keywords: Science, Technology, Rockets, Gravity, Paper rocket, Bottle launcher, Chemical reaction

Material: 


Activities 1, 2, 3 and 4:
• Sticky tape
• Scissors
• Paper
• Straw
• Nose and fins template (optional)

Activity 3:
• 1 500 ml plastic water bottle
• 1 3D printed launch elbow
• 1 protractor

Activity 4:
• 1 35mm white film canister
• Effervescent tablets (e.g. Alka-Seltzer®)
• Water
• Long measuring tape
• 2 chairs
• 5 metres of fishing line
• 1 plastic cup