When science meets the real world, interesting and exciting things can happen. Dale Moore and Thomas Craig’s eighth grade science students decided to test Sir Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion with a bottle rocket experiment. The objective of the experiment was to design, build and launch a bottle rocket for maximum vertical distance. The experiment was assigned to help students understand how the bottle rocket’s setup and movement illustrate each of Newton’s Three Laws of Motion. Students were responsible for researching, designing and building their bottle rockets. Shown above, students went outside to test their designs. Many students were surprised and impressed by both the rocket’s thrust and vertical distance. The experiment resulted in a better understanding of Newton’s Laws of Motion and the science of rocketry, while providing some fun.
