- Adult Involvement: Low
Make a Spinning Rocket Pinwheel
In this science experiment, kids will make a rocket pinwheel while exploring Newton’s Third Law of Motion.
Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In this experiment, when the balloon pushes air out of the straw, there is an equal and opposite push that forces the balloon to move forward and spin around.
Materials
Instructions
Attach the open end of the balloon to the straw using a rubber band; use the end of the straw that is the farthest away from the “elbow” of the bendy straw.
Insert the pin through the midpoint of the straw and push the pin into the eraser of the pencil. Blow up the balloon through the open end of the straw and release. What happens?
Now bend the straw in different orientations -- down, to the side, or straight up to see which works best! This is an excellent illustration of Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion.
