Balloon Car Race

Words to Know:

Force:
A push or pull that can make your balloon car start moving or change how it moves.

Thrust:
The pushing force that moves your balloon car forward when air rushes out of the balloon.

Friction:
The force that slows down your balloon car when parts rub against each other, like wheels against the floor.

Aerodynamics:
How easily an object (like your balloon car) moves through the air without being slowed down too much.

Mass:
The amount of matter (stuff) in your balloon car. A lighter car usually moves faster and farther.

Prototype:
The first model or version of your balloon car that you build to test and improve your ideas.

Acceleration:
How quickly your balloon car speeds up once you let the air out of the balloon.

Drag:
A type of friction that happens when air pushes against your balloon car, making it harder to move forward.

Iteration:
Testing your balloon car many times and making small changes each time to improve its performance.

Newton’s Third Law of Motion:
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When air rushes out of the balloon backward, the car moves forward.

Action Force:
The force of the air pushing backward out of the balloon.

Reaction Force:
The forward push on your car, created by the backward-moving air.

Propulsion:
The forward motion of your balloon car caused by the reaction force pushing against the escaping air.