Hooked on Science: Pinwheel balloon

Looking for something to keep children busy this summer? Using a few materials from around the house, you can create the pinwheel balloon.

Materials

* Pencil with an eraser

* Sewing pin

* Balloon

* Tape

* Flexible straw

Instructions

STEP 1: Put the long end of the straw into the opening of the balloon. Using the tape, secure the balloon onto the flexible straw.

STEP 2: Push the sewing pin through the balancing point of the straw and into the eraser.

STEP 3: Bend the flexible straw at a right angle. Inflate the balloon by blowing into the straw and observe.

Explanation

Newton's third law of motion says for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. As the air rushes out of the balloon, the opposite and equal reaction is for the balloon and flexible straw to spin.

Jason Lindsey is a science outreach educator with Hooked on Science. Check out his website hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments.