Rocket Races &
Newton's Third Law

suggested for grades 5-8

Overview

Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that when one object exerts a force on another object, the second object also exerts an equal and opposite force on the first object. These two forces are referred to as a force pair. A force pair identifies two interacting objects and describes the direction of the force acting on each object. It is important to note that both forces in the force pair are the same type (e.g. gravitational), are equal in magnitude, and are opposite in direction.


You can use a balloon to provide a simple analogy of how a rocket engine works.  The air trapped inside the balloon is pushed out of the open end of the balloon. According to Newton's Third Law of motion, the expelled air exerts an equal force in the opposite direction of the motion of the air, causing the balloon to move forward.


Challenge your students to build the most efficient rocket racer, paying attention to the limitations that keep some racers from going further than others!

Objectives

  • Predict and make observations about the nature of forces and motion
  • Explain Newton’s Third Law of Motion, and apply examples to everyday life
  • Investigate Newton’s Third Law of Motion by designing and constructing rocket-powered racing cars

Standards

  • NGSS MS-PS2-1: Apply Newton's Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects.
  • Science and Engineering Practices: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
  • Disciplinary Core Ideas: PS2.A: Forces and Motion
  • Crosscutting Concepts: Stability and Change

Supplies

• Styrofoam food trays (12" x 16" works well)

• Two Small plastic stirrers (two per student)

• Bendy straws (three per student)

• Milkshake straws (three per student)

• Assorted balloons (three per student)

• Balloon pump

• Masking Tape

• Sharpened pencil

• Scissors

• Measuring tape

• Small binder clip

Daily Breakdown

February 1st, 2021

#NASAMakerMonday

Step 1: Kick things off with a STEMonstration from NASA astronauts on the International Space Station to learn the basics of Newton’s Third Law. What other examples of force pairs can your students think up?


Step 2: Have your students sketch the basic design of your rocket racer. Ask them to think about the following questions:

  1. What force pairs will act on your racer?
  2. How can you make sure your racer goes straight?
  3. How can you make your racer go as far as possible?


Step 3: Using the resources and instructions below, construct a simple rocket racer. Encourage students to get creative and make it their own! If time allows, conduct basic tests before the formal race tomorrow.


February 2nd, 2021

#NASATestItTuesday

It's time to test! Let's run the rocket racers through several practice launches.


Step 1: Have students put any finishing touches on the rocket racer created yesterday. Make sure it's prepared to hold up to a day of intense testing!


Step 2: Measure out a testing site in your classroom, or support students to do so at home. This space should ideally be at least 10 meters long - but get creative to make any space work!


Step 3: Perform three trials with each rocket racer. Each time, make sure students measure how far their racer traveled in addition to other observations.


Step 4: Compare students’ results across the class - who had the longest and shortest distances? What about their designs made them more or less successful?

February 3rd, 2021

#NASAWonderWednesday

Take a break from designing and testing today to step back and look at the big picture. What do your students imagine it would be like to work at NASA?


Step 1: Learn about what a payload is, then watch this video (14:36-23:06) to meet Space Station Payload Operations Directors Jessica Caudle and Phil Simmons.


Step 2: Encourage your students to reflect on the interview. Consider the following questions, or ask your own:

  • What does the Payload Operations Integration Center do?
  • How is working at NASA like playing in an orchestra?
  • What are Jessica and Phil's main responsibilities?

Step 3: Prepare for another day of iterating, resdesigning, and testing tomorrow.


February 4th 2021

#NASATryAgainThursday

Time to get back to the design cycle and use what we've learned so far to push our design to the next level! Jessica and Phil talked about transporting a payload from Earth to the International Space Station. Let's extend our challenge from Tuesday with this in mind.


Step 1: Mark off a space between the 6.5 and 7.5 meter mark on your launch area. This represents the distance to the International Space Station.


Step 2: Challenge your students to find a payload to carry on their rocket racer. Consider using pencils, a stick note pad, or even a phone - extra credit for heavier payloads!


Step 3: Have students redesign their racer to safely deliver the payload all the way to the ISS without overshooting it. Encourage innovations, like using multiple balloons.


Step 4: Perform three trials with each rocket racer. How many times was each team successful?

February 5th, 2021

#NASAFeedbackFriday

Communication and feedback is an essential part of the design cycle. To bring this week to a close, have your students present their learning to each other - and to NASA.


Step 1: Use your own prompts or the samples below for guidance.

  • What was your biggest challenge when designing and building?
  • What is one change you made to your rocket racer that helped it to travel further?
  • What variables did you not have control over? Were you able to address them? How?


Step 2: For a bonus - have students record their presentations or take photos of their rockets, then share them on social media with the hashtags #NextGenSTEM and #NASAFeedbackFriday.