Alpha science classroom：DIY a Paper Rocket

Launch! Kids love rocket toys and airplanes, or kids have seen real rocket launches on TV, so do kids want to have their own rocket? Today, alpha science classroom gives kids DIY a Paper Rocket, in this children's physical science experiments project, kids can make simple rockets out of paper and learn the basics of aerodynamics and physics through this fun kid's science experiments activity, can kids build the rocket that flies the farthest? Can kids build the rocket that flies the farthest? Then come along and try it out!

Alpha Science Classroom: DIY a paper rocket materials

• Two pieces of paper

• Scissors

• Pencil

• Drinking straw

• Drinking straw

• Ruler

• Clear space for launching "rockets", such as a large room, hallway or windless outdoor area

• Measuring tape (optional)

Alpha Science Classroom. steps to DIY a paper rocket

Step 1: First, children cut a piece of paper into four smaller rectangles, cutting them in half lengthwise and horizontally. This will allow you to make four rockets.

Step 2: Children wrap one of the rectangular pieces of paper around a pencil to form a cylinder, with the long side of the piece of paper matching the length of the pencil. Seal the cylinder with tape so that it doesn't unravel (but don't tape it to the pencil).

Slide the cylinder of the pencil. Pinch the end of the cylinder and seal it with tape. (This is the "front end" of your rocket.) Keep the other end open. This will be your first rocket, without fins.

Step 3: Kids need to keep enough space - no obstacles, such as furniture or people - to prepare to launch their first rocket Slide it onto a drinking straw. Aim the straw in front of you and blow as hard as you can. Watch your rocket fly up.

Think about it for a moment.

Step 4: Kids try to launch the rocket a few more times to see if it flies the same way. If you want to keep track of how far your rocket flies, make sure you launch it from the same place each time and measure to the landing point with a tape measure.

Step 5: Children follow the previous steps to make another paper rocket. Remember to pinch one end and seal it with tape.

For this rocket, however, you'll want to make the fins. Cut out two right triangles (one with an angle of 90 degrees) from the other sheet of paper. The long side of the triangles should be about 8 cm. You will fold each triangle into two fins, so you will have a total of four fins.

Step 6: Children will stick the paper rocket on the straw and draw a line that bisects a triangle (from the 90-degree angle to the middle of the long side of the triangle). Draw two lines parallel to the first one (one on each side), about five millimeters away from it.

Step 7: Children now, fold the triangle along these two lines. The result should be two triangles standing vertically in the air (fins), with a flat part connecting them in the middle.

Step 8: The children attach the flat part to one side of the cylinder, facing the open end (the base or bottom of the rocket).

Step 9: Children repeat these steps for the other triangle and attach it to the cylinder on the opposite side of the first triangle. When you look at the rocket from either end, the result should be four fins that form a "+" shape.

Step 10: If necessary, bend the fins so that they are 90 degrees from each other. Slide the new rocket onto the drinking straw and launch it.

Children try to keep track of how far this rocket can fly. How does its flight compare to that of your first wingless rocket? Can it fly farther? Does it tumble or fly in a straight line? Do you think the fins help with the stability of the rocket?

Fire it a few more times. If you want to measure the distance each rocket flew, use a tape measure to record how far it flew.

Alpha science classroom: The science behind DIY a Paper Rocket

The alpha science classroom believes that children should see that the finless rocket that is made flies straight at first but soon loses control. It may tumble through the air and float down to the ground, almost like a leaf falling from a tree. This is because the rocket has no fins to keep it stable. If it starts to turn just a little, then it will start to turn faster until it loses control completely. In contrast, your second rocket, if it has fins, should fly straight and go farther as a result. This is because the fins help keep the rocket stable, or pointing in the same direction. If the rocket spins slightly, the fins will help it turn back to its original direction.

The alpha science classroom reveals for kids that when all flying things, from rockets to airplanes to birds, have one thing in common, they need to be stable when they fly. You're probably very familiar with what "stability" means for objects on the ground. When you were learning how to ride a bike, did you use training wheels? Training wheels help keep your bike stable so you don't fall over. The same concept applies to things that fly. As they fly forward, they need to stay pointed in the same direction without spinning or tumbling, which could cause them to fall.

You may have noticed that rockets and missiles usually have triangular fins on the bottom. The same applies to other long, thin objects that fly quickly through the air, such as arrows. In this project, you discovered how these fins help rockets fly straight. The fins ensure that the rocket's center of pressure (the point where the air resistance acts with equal effectiveness) is behind its center of mass (the "middle" of the rocket, or the equivalent point where all its mass is concentrated). This is an important reason why rockets are able to fly into space

Now, kids take the DIY a paper rockets and let them fly in the garden! The best start for their space dream. We hope that Alpha science classroom's children's physical science experiments activities can send the best help for children to enjoy the fun brought by science. Through the fun kid's science experiments activities, we help children explore the mysterious universe and become the smartest astronaut.

Alpha science toys also create the coolest kids' physical science experiment kits with the most realistic model rockets to show the charm of science for kids, so that they can grow up healthy and happy in the process of learning and entertainment!