The moving Balloon Powered Car has kinetic energy, but even an object that isn't moving has energy. This energy is called potential energy. The potential energy of the car is in the elastic material of the balloon. As the balloon fills with air, it builds more potential energy. As the air flows from the balloon, it changes to kinetic energy. This is the conservation of energy.
Problem:
Using the old mousetrap car base and wheels, we will investigate how the diameter of the balloon correlates to the distance the car goes.
Hypothesis: If we increase the diameter of the balloon, then we will expect a greater distance.
Independent variable: The different diameters of the balloon measured in centimeters.
Dependent variable: The distance the balloon-powered car will go in centimeters.
Controls: Surface (smooth tile), Temperature (to keep constant kinetic energy inside the balloon), Unit of measurement (centimeters), Wheels (rubber), Position (facing forward)
Unit of Measurement: Centimeters
Procedure:
1) Take out the mousetrap in the old mousetrap car and keep the base and wheels. Those will be used as the base and wheels of your balloon-powered care.
2) Cut the mouth ring (the lip that you blow into) off of the balloon. This will allow for a better seal between the balloon and the straw.
3) Insert a straw approximately 1" into the balloon. Use tape to securely fasten the straw inside the balloon. The tighter the seal, the better your straw is going to work, so make sure as little air as possible can escape.
4) Mount the straw so that the point where the straw and balloon connect is about 1" from the end of your chassis. Taping it at this point is your best bet. Secure the straw so that it points straight out from the chassis.
5) Inflate the balloon and pinch the straw to keep air inside the balloon. Place the racer on the ground and let it go!
Trials Diameter: 15 cm Diameter: 20 cm Diameter: 25 cm
1 130.4 cm 210.2 cm 265.7 cm
2 120.5 cm 165.1 cm 210.9 cm
3 135.1 cm 195.0 cm 235.4 cm
Diameter: 15 cm Diameter: 20 cm Diameter: 25 cm
Average distance: 128.7 cm 190.1 cm 237.3 cm
Uncertainties
Exact measurement of balloon with ruler
Precise alignment with the tiles
Exact measurement of distance with ruler
Resuming trials the next day
Conclusion:
Through our data that we recorded, we have concluded that there is a direct proportion between the diameter of the balloon and the distance of the car. Our hypothesis was correct; if you increase the diameter of the balloon then the distance of the car will increase. This is because the more air inside the balloon will result in more air being released resulting in a greater force pushing the balloon forward. There were systematic errors in our trials with the measurements of the balloon diameter and the distance. Also, the resuming of the trials the next day may have caused a slight temperature change causing the volume of the balloon to differ from the day before. Also, there were random errors with our placement of the car along the tiles, and the ability of the wheels to spin as they should. Another slight error might be the weariness of the balloon over time and how quickly the balloon would be able to spit out air out of the balloon after each trial. Also, after measuring, as we pinched the straw to hold the air inside the balloon some air may have left the straw causing the balloon to decrease it’s diameter.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
The reasons that my mousetrap car functioned as well as it did were: (1) the light and thin CD’s that I used as wheels minimized the friction between the car and the ground, causing the car to go a greater distance as opposed to the distance thick, heavy wheels would go. (2) The balloons that were wrapped around the wheels created traction and prevented the the wheels from slipping on the…
- 906 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
The independent variable (what I will be changing in the experiment) in the project is the balloon size (lg., med., or sm.)…
- 528 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
* Place two tablets inside the balloon. You may need to break the tablets into pieces to do…
- 624 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
1. You rub balloons in your hair and then hang them like in the picture below. Explain why you think they move apart and what might affect how far apart they get.…
- 725 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
* In a car, the useful energy output is in the form of mechanical energy.…
- 1410 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
If it moves along a string it focuses the power from the balloon's air in a single direction, generating more concentrated thrust and helping it travel as far as possible in one direction. For the balloon's velocity, if the balloon is moving rightwards, then the velocity is moving rightwards also. The amount of speed is the rate at which an object covers distance. A fast-moving object has a high speed and covers a large distance in a short amount of time. A slow-moving object that has a low speed will cover a small amount of distance in the same amount of time. The force that moves the balloon to create velocity is the thrust when you let go of the balloon's mouth piece. Thrust can be created from your hand or controller. The movement that pushes the balloon forward will make it go farther.The air that shoots out from the balloon's mouth also pushes the balloon forward and creates some velocity.The change in velocity depends on the mass of the object. A force will cause a change in velocity and a change in velocity will generate a force. If there is no force acting on an object then the object will maintain a constant velocity. When velocity is zero the object remains at…
- 536 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Newton's first law is the first law that relates to my project, and the first law states that if an object is at rest or moving at a constant speed in a straight line, it will remain at rest or keep moving in a straight line at a constant speed unless a force is acted upon it.(Newton's laws of motion) For example, if there was a car going at 5 miles per hour in a straight line the car will remain going 5 miles per hour unless a force is acted upon it like if another car crashed into the car. Newton's third law is the other law that has anything to do with my project, and the third law states that when two objects interact, they apply equal forces to one another in magnitude and opposite in direction.(Newton’s laws of motion) For example when someone is pedaling on a bike the pedals and chain interact, applying an equal force to one another. That's why when you pedal faster you go faster. Overall, all the information suggests that my cars seem to have a better chance at going…
- 782 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
For our car we decided to make it a rubber band car since that would give it the most mechanical and potential energy. The rubber bands were to act as our potential energy since it stored all the energy as we pulled it back to wind it up. The whole car then would be running on mechanical energy. As the rubber bands unwind, it turns the rear axle of the car which then drives the rear tires to move the car. Miranda made sure to get the car to only go forward by figuring out the right amount over rubber bands and how tight to make them. Another way to not make sure the car went a different direction was to make sure the bands released and didn’t get twisted back up. If they did that would result in a car that went backwards. The tighter we got them the father the car would go. It turned out to be about 4 bands that were tied together. The car was able to go because of the force that was being built up with the bands as they tightened. The back wheels were also put on tight so the car went straight and the axle was secured with glue to the rotating piece of wood. The only force acting on the car were the bands and with the cement ground there was no friction, so the car had a smooth ride. The speed did slow down however after the initial take off but we wanted it to go slower as it approached the wall for the safety of the egg. Overall our project went really well.…
- 523 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
4 identical round, thin latex balloons—“water balloons" are slow to expand. Non-Mylar® "helium-quality" balloons give good results. But, water balloons will work.…
- 1138 Words
- 5 Pages
Powerful Essays -
A rubber band racer consists of a corflute base, a rear axle with rubber wheels and a front axle with plastic wheels. It is powered by a rubber band that can be wound around the rear axle and when released it propels the racer forwards. When the rubber band is wound around the axle it has elastic potential energy and when this energy is release it is transformed into kinetic energy that rotates the rear axle and wheels propelling the car forwards. As the car rolls it loses energy but as “The Law of Conservation of Energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, just transformed from one form to another.” This energy has to go somewhere. In this case it is lost through friction between…
- 376 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
* With the building of our cars, we were measuring the mass of the egg, mass of the car, time for it to go down the track, and the width so that it would fit down the track. The variable that affects our cars the most is the mass. If your car weighs to little, it will go at high speeds and the egg will most likely not be protected, but if the car weighs to much it might not make it all the way down the track.…
- 894 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
1. You rub balloons in your hair and then hang them like in the picture below. Explain why you think they move apart and what might affect how far apart they get.…
- 549 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Inflate your balloon. This step is to form the body of the piñata so inflate it to the size you want the piñata to be.…
- 1117 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
The main energy transfers that happens as a “car” travels along the track from the start of the ride to the end.…
- 1251 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
Attach a 3rd Popsicle stick across the center of the other Popsicle sticks with a rubber band.…
- 495 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays