We all had great fun at Masterclass on Wednesday! We were given the task of making Balloon Rockets! We tied string to two different points after threading the string through a straw. We then blew up a balloon which was sellotaped to the straw. When it was time to let the balloon go, we had great fun seeing how far it went! We realised that by changing the variables (length of string, size of balloon, amount of balloons) we could change the power of the rocket! Some of us created a rocket that flew across the whole classroom!

So how does it work? It’s all about the air…and thrust. As the air rushes out of the balloon, it creates a forward motion called THRUST. Thrust is a pushing force created by energy. In the balloon experiment, our thrust comes from the energy of the balloon forcing the air out. Different sizes and shapes of balloon will create more or less thrust. In a real rocket, thrust is created by the force of burning rocket fuel as it blasts from the rockets engine – as the engines blast down, the rocket goes up!

Hope you like our pictures!