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Build a Balloon-Powered Car

Build a small car pushed by escaping air, then test and redesign it to go farther.

Grade 4BuildEngineeringScienceEngineeringPhysicsMachinesBeginner45 to 60 min8 materialsAdult supervision required

What you'll learn

  • Explain how pushing air backward moves a car forward
  • Describe how friction slows a moving object
  • Test a design several times and improve it using evidence

Objective

Build a vehicle powered by escaping air and investigate force, motion and friction.

STEM concepts

ForceMotionEnergyFrictionNewton's third lawEngineering design
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Materials and safety
Step-by-step instructions
Prediction, test sheet and results
Why does it work, challenge and project report

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