Experiment
Jet powered box
Can you make a shoebox move with just air from a balloon?
You need:
- A round balloon.
- 15 straws.
- A shoebox.
This is what you do:
Place the straws next to each other.
Make a hole on one short side of the shoe box.
Blow up the balloon.
Hold the opening and thread the balloon through the hole in the box.
Place the shoe box on top of the straws and release the balloon.
Do the experiment once more, but this time without using a straw.
Explore further:
What is going on?
The straws reduce the friction (resistance) between the carton and the floor.
Without the straws, the friction becomes so great that there is not enough force from the balloon to push the shoe box forward.
