SCIENCE ACTIVITIES FOR FUN!!!

Blast Off!

Objects need a force to start them moving and a force to make them slow down and stop. To demonstrate this, we will shoot a cup into the air and see how high it flies before it stops and falls.

For this exercise you will need:

• tissue paper
• a plastic cup
• an empty liquid-soap bottle
• a bowl of water

1. Remove the top from the bottle.
2. Dip the tissue paper into the water and squeeze it into a plug shape.
3. Push the plug into the neck of the bottle. The plug must fit firmly.
4. Place the cup upside down over the top of the bottle.
5. Go outside and point the bottle toward the sky. Squeeze it hard with both hands. The cup shoots into the air, then stops and falls back down.

What happened?

Squeezing the bottle makes the air inside push against the plug with a strong force.

The force of the air in the bottle makes the plug move. The force of the moving plug then lifts the cup into the air.

The force of gravity pulls down on the cup, slowing it to a stop, then making it fall back down.