What is the science behind a balloon powered car?
The science behind this experiment is all about energy. When the balloon is inflated it stores the compressed air and stretched rubber as potential energy. When you let the air out of the balloon, the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy; this is the energy of motion, which is why the car moves.
What makes a balloon powered car go faster?
The more you inflate the balloon the more potential energy it stores, which in turn is converted to more kinetic energy, according to the law of conservation of energy—so the car will go faster.
What factors affect the acceleration of the other balloon?
The more compressed air there is in the balloon, the more force it will have and the faster it will move. If you decrease the number of pumps (lower the air pressure), the balloon has less force and will go slower.
Which direction did the air from the balloon go?
When we inflate a balloon, we fill it with a pressurized gas (air). When we let go of the end, the air rushes out and pushes against the air around the balloon to move it in the opposite direction. Newton describes this effect in his Third Law of Motion: for every action, there is always an equal and opposite reaction.
Who is the inventor of the balloon powered car?
In the Balloon-Powered Car, we’ll show you how to build your own racer and then use air pressure to zip it across a surface. SICK Science® is a registered trademark of Steve Spangler, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
How does the size of a balloon affect the distance a car travels?
C. Hypothesis Hypothesis:If the size of the balloon effects the distance the balloon powered car travels then the car powered by the bigger balloon will travel further than the car powered by the smaller balloons.
What is the reaction of a Balloon car?
This law states that for every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction. In the case of the Balloon-Powered Car, the action is the air rushing from the straw and pushing against the air behind the car. The reaction is the air behind the car pushing against the car with the same force causing the forward movement of the car.
How does a car accelerate while a balloon deflates?
In the range experiments, you probably observed that the car accelerates while the balloon deflates and then it coasts to a stop after the air has left the balloon. By Newton’s 2nd Law, the car accelerates in proportion to the thrust applied by the jet as the balloon deflates.