Straw Cube Challenge Pics

Mr. O's Hover Craft

This is a hover craft built in my classroom. It's very simple to build. All you need is an old record album, a regular size party balloon, a straw, scissors, some masking tape, and some soft clay or hot glue & glue gun.

Steps:

1. Cut the straw in half, and insert one of the halves into the balloon about 3 centimeters, and tape the balloon shut around the straw. Throw the other straw half away.

2. With the record on a flat surface, insert the other end of the straw into the hole at the center of the record. Make sure on the other side of the record the straw is flush with the record.

3. Secure the straw in position with a small piece of soft clay or hot glue. I use a low temperature glue gun, because hot glue works better than the clay.

4. Blow it up from the back side, and let it go on a flat, smooth freshly swept or dusted surface.

5. Have fun, be safe and E-mail me your success or failure story!

This vehicle is like the ones I have my students build when we study Newton's Third Law of Motion. It states that for every action force there is an equal but opposite reaction force. The only materials used in the project that do not come from McDonald's are masking tape, scissors and the balloon. I don't tell my students what to build or how to build. I just give them the materials and tell them to build a device that is powered by Newton's Third Law of Motion. Most of the kids build little cars, but no car looks like another. They all turn out unique. The idea is that the balloon forces air out the straw at the back of the vehicle, and this action force causes the car to move in the opposite direction, the reaction force. I built this one, and it went 53 feet (16 meters 15 centimeters) in our 8th grade hall.

My sister drew the picture on this pumpkin, and then I carved it.