Water Bottle Rockets

At the end of the year, students get a chance to be the scientists in several projects. One of my absolute favorites is the water bottle rocket. The video shows the general design of the rockets and several launches. What I love about the project is that they chose one variable to change that will increase flight distance. Variables include fin shape, fin size, fin placement, volume of water, etc. I also love that there is not just one design that works. Here is the handout that I give to students.

Books Smash Eggs

Eggs have an arch design in which compression forces are diverted from the top and bottom of the egg down to the sides. How much compression force can an egg take before it's smashed?  Watch the video!

Pendulum

How does a pendulum work? Why can't the weight of the pendulum ever go as high as the starting height? Watch the video to find out.

Video Demo: Newton's 3rd Law

A simple demonstration of Newton's 3rd law of motion in action.  A rubber band under tension is cut, launching both the sled and the launching mechanism in equal and opposite directions.

Video Demo: Adding Forces

This is a fun and easy demo to teach what happens to objects when forces are acting in the same direction.  A series of balls are dropped together, one on top of another. The forces are added together, creating a larger force that propels the top ball to a much greater height.