Audience
Educators
Grade Levels
Grades 5-8
Subject
Engineering Design, Technology, Rocketry
Type
Lesson Plans / Activities
Students build an air-powered water rocket from a 2-liter soda bottle to find the optimal amount of water volume to air pressure for producing maximum thrust.
Students will:
- Construct flightworthy water rockets.
- Find the optimal amount of water to compressed air within the water rockets to reach maximum performance (altitude).
- Demonstrate an understanding of Newton’s second and third laws of motion and how they apply to rocket launches.
Next Generation Science Standards: MS-PS2-2, MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-2, MS-ETS1-3, MS-ETS1-4
Common Core Math Standard: 6.SP.B.5
Activity Four: Optimize a Water Rocket Engine
This lesson plan is part of the “Propulsion With the Space Launch System Educator Guide.”