Hooked on Science: Squeeze bottle rocket

Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon, helped spark a love for science in our country when the Apollo 11 crew landed on the moon July 20, 1969. Help the love of science continue by using a Kool-Aid Bursts bottle and a few other materials from around the house to create a rocket.

Materials

* Empty Kool-Aid Bursts bottle

* Thin straw

* Wide straw

* Clay

Instructions

STEP 1: Push the thin straw an inch of the way into the mouth of the empty Kool-Aid Bursts bottle.

STEP 2: Seal up the end of the wide straw with a piece of clay.

STEP 3: Place the open end of the wide straw over the thin straw and squeeze the bottle.

Explanation

As you squeeze the bottle, the air inside pushes through the thinner straw. Since the wider straw is plugged with clay, the air has no place to escape. The air forces the wider straw through the air.

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