How to do it
6 steps. Tap one when it's done.
Small fins go around the open end. The nose at the other end must be sealed.
All experimentsBlow, launch, measure, tweak
Straw Rocket
A paper tube on a straw, launched with one big breath. First one might go a metre. By the fifth one, with the fins and nose cone sorted, it's crossing the room.
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Time25 min
You geta squadron of rockets
DifficultyEasyBarely a mess
SectionLearning
This one is all yours
Nothing sharp, nothing hot, nowhere far. Tell someone what you're up to, then go ahead and do it on your own.
Why that works
Your breath pushes air into the sealed tube and the air has nowhere to go but to shove the rocket forward off the straw. Fins keep the back end from swinging round, so all that push goes in one direction instead of into a wobble.