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Balloon Hovercraft

Build a hovercraft from a CD and a balloon, then test how load and air supply change how far it glides.

Grade 7BuildExperimentScience OlympiadScienceEngineeringPhysicsEngineeringMeasurementIntermediate40 to 70 min7 materialsAdult supervision required

What you'll learn

  • Explain how an air cushion reduces friction
  • Measure glide distance and time
  • Control variables in a build test

Objective

Build a working hovercraft and measure how mass and balloon size change its glide distance.

STEM concepts

FrictionAir pressureAir cushionsNewton's laws
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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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