ACS: Science ABCs - 'Z' is for Zoomers
Zach was walking home from school
And saw a sign that read:
“Come join a rocket contest,
And learn to zoom,” it said.
Zach didn’t have a rocket,
But knew that he could make
One that soared and zoomed real fast—
First prize he’d surely take.
With a bottle and a straw,
Zach zipped up to his room.
He built a flying rocket
That really had some zoom!
What You’ll Need
- thin plastic coffee stirrer
- paper
- scissors
- tape
- straw
- empty dish detergent
squeeze bottle
(cap removed)
What makes Zach’s rocket zoom?
When anything flies, air pressure is always involved. Birds, airplanes, helicopters, footballs, and rockets all use air pressure and fight against it when they fly. For Zach’s zoom rocket, a hard squeeze of the bottle creates high air pressure in the bottle. This high-pressure air rushes out of the bottle through the straw and pushes the rocket out of the bottle for its flight.
Try this activity