Tag: <span>Curriculum</span>

01 Sep

Rocketry Experiments Apologia Science Curriculum
Posted in Education by anshbookstore on September 1, 2022 @ 1:12 am

Every action triggers an equal reaction in the opposite direction. There are many experiments that can use this principle, and it’s my goal to take you beyond your Apologia science curriculum experience, by making science fun and easy for you.

Have you ever kicked a brick wall? Off course you ended up hurting your toe. As strange as it may sound, when you kicked the brick wall, the stationary wall exerted an equal reaction force in the opposite direction, and therefore you felt the pain. Kick harder and it will hurt more- equal reaction force, you see?
 
This law has been explained by Sir Isaac Newton centuries ago, and came to be known as his Third Law of Motion. This is the same law that is at work when rockets are launched. If you have searched for cool rocketry experiments in the Apologia science curriculum and other homeschool programs, you will be glad that you found me. Let me show you a fun way of using balloons to simulate the launching of rockets.

Single-Stage Balloon Rocket: Take a twenty-foot long nylon fishing line and tie one end to a window or something strong. Pass the free end of the line through a plastic drinking straw and tie the free end to another strong object such as another window or a bed. The fishing line must be stretched and not left hanging loose. Now blow a long balloon and secure the mouth with a clothespin. Tape this balloon to the straw in such a way that the length of the balloon is parallel to the length of the straw.
 
Now remove the clothespin and observe what happens. When you remove the clothespin, air is pushed out of the deflating balloon with great force in one direction. Therefore an equal force is exerted on the balloon in the opposite direction, and the balloon moves. The same principle is used in launching rockets into the air.
 
If your Apologia science curriculum experience stopped here, let me take you further. Some rockets that need to go higher use double fuel tanks or double stages. In the next experiment, I will teach you how to make a cool double-stage balloon rocket.
 
Double-Stage Balloon Rocket: This experiment is similar to the single-stage balloon rocket experiment; only pass the fishing line through two straws instead of one. Make a one-inch ring out of a Styrofoam coffee cup by removing the base of the cup. Now blow a long balloon just enough so that it can fit snugly inside this Styrofoam ring with the rounded head of the balloon extending a little beyond the ring. Secure the mouth of this balloon with a clothespin. Tape this balloon to the straw on the left hand side with the balloon head pointing to the right.
 
Now inflate and tape a second long balloon lengthwise to the straw on the right hand side. Twist the mouth-end of the balloon to form a one inch tail. Now pass this tail through the Styrofoam ring and under the first balloon. The air pressure of the first balloon will keep the second balloon from getting deflated.
 
Bring these two connected balloons to the left hand side of the fishing line and remove the clothespin from the first balloon. What happens?

To get great science experiments and activities,  visit the free “Homeschool Parent’s Guide to Teaching Science” at the link below.



Source by Aurora Lipper

05 Feb

Apologia Science Curriculum – Mini Rockets You Can Build
Posted in Education by anshbookstore on February 5, 2022 @ 8:53 pm

We have all been amused by the way an inflated balloon behaves when left loose without tying the mouth. This dynamic action has some principles behind it and Isaac Newton, an English scientist, explained why this happens centuries ago. He said that for every action there is a reaction with equal force in the opposite direction. This law of Newton came to be known as his Third Law of Motion and may or may not be found in homeschool programs such as the Apologia science curriculum. However, I love to make this principle come alive in your homes by teaching you some cool rocket experiments.

When we blow air into a balloon, we apply a force on the rubber wall of the balloon. This wall exerts an equal force back. Therefore, as soon as we release our hold on the mouth of the balloon, the wall pushes the air out. Now, as the air is pushed out of the balloon with force, an equal force works in the opposite direction and pushes the balloon in the opposite direction. This is the same principle that is used to launch rockets.

A rocket engine burns fuel, and therefore a large amount of gases are released. The jet of gases hits the ground with a great downward force. Now according to Newton’s third law, an equal force acts on the rocket in the opposite (upward) direction. Therefore a great thrust is created and the rocket is launched into the sky. You may have read about this in the Apologia science curriculum or elsewhere, but I will teach you to have some fun by making this happen in your home.

Seltzer Pressure Rocket: Fill one-third of an empty film-roll canister (preferably transparent) with water. Drop an effervescent tablet (such as Alka-Seltzer) in it. Place the lid and invert the canister quickly on a sidewalk. What happens? The canister is thrown up into the air just the way a rocket is launched.

When the effervescent tablet reacts with water, it releases carbon dioxide gas. This gas builds up in the canister and ultimately sets off a mini-blast. The gas applies downward force on the lid. As a result, an equal force acts on the canister in the opposite direction, launching it. Repeat with two tablets and see what happens.

Please take help from adults while performing this experiment. Also wear protective eyewear. What does this experiment tell you about the amount of fuel it takes to launch a rocket? What do you learn about the amount of force that is required to generate the equal and opposite launching force of the rocket? To get a better idea, watch a video of a real-life rocket launch.

If you’ve been looking for programs such as the Apologia science curriculum or others, you need look no further. You will find my experiments very easy to perform, and the best thing is that the materials you will require can be found around the house. Take a look at another exciting experiment.

Paper-tube Rocket: Make a paper tube by rolling a strip of paper spirally on a pencil.Secure the tube with duct tape at a few places and slide out the pencil. Fold the upper end of the tube so that air does not pass through it and secure it with duct tape to form the nose. Now insert a drinking straw into this tube rocket and blow hard to launch your rocket.

Want some more exciting ideas? Download your free “Homeschool Parent’s Guide to Teaching Science”, filled with great science experiments and activities at the link below.



Source by Aurora Lipper