Water/Air Powered Vehicle
by P. Grey


ProblemResearch LinksIntegrating and MindmapLearning OutcomesProcedure


Introduction: This activity requires making a vehicle (chassis) and powering it with a 2 litre plastic pop bottle. The key to success in this activity is building a frame with wheels that won't fall apart. The power of this system is very similar to a rocket (booster system).



The Problem: Design a air/water powered vehicle that will travel 3 metres or more.



Research Links on Rockets for Students and Teachers:



Integrating the Research:..Mindmap..
 This activity fits in nicely with any intermediate unit on rocketry or space flight or force.




Materials, Challenge, and Criteria
Materials and Tools:
  1. 1 cm. square wood (30 cm. in length)
  2. glue or glue guns and materials for strengthening joints.
  3. wooden wheels or double metal wheels - either buy your wheels from an outfit like Technology Teaching systems or retrieve metal lids from jars or frozen juice containers. Double wheels means putting two together;
  4. 2 litre plastic pop bottle, 1/8 inch doweling
  5. masking or duct tape; bicycle pump, bicycle needle and tight-fitting cork
  6. tools - drills, drill bits 1/8 and 3/16; glue guns, hammers
Challenge:
Design and build a vehicle powered by air/water that will travel at least 3 metres.

Criteria:

  1. Work in groups of 3 or 4;
  2. Students receive same amount of materials;
  3. Students need to test their vehicle to hold a pop bottle approximately 1/3 full of water;


Safety/Recycling and Learning Outcomes
Safety:

Use low-heat glue guns and advise students strongly about getting hot glue on their fingers. A station should be set up so that students can't melt or damage things.
Recyling: The items in this can be recycled or reused.

Learning Outcomes: (written more briefly - for full description go to: British Columbia IRP's (curriculum outcomes)
  1. Self and Society: organize their work to improve the management of materials, time, and resources (stressed in this activity);
  2. Production: determines steps of design before project is constructed; then redesigns as seen fit;
  3. Control: students should be able to identify the control switch (the cork in the bottle)
  4. Energy and Power: the power and force of the water and air thrusts the vehicle forward. Students should understand how one type of energy is changed into another.


Procedure
Production Procedure:
  1. Students will construct a basic rectangular frame with 1 cm. square wood (approximately 20 cm. long and 8 - 10 cm. wide). The corners are reinforced and glued tightly together.
  2. Next 3/16 inch holes are drilled for the axles. Two holes for front wheels and two holes for rear!
  3. Cut 2 pieces of doweling approximately 4 cm. longer than width of vehicle (12 - 14 cm.).
  4. Drill or punch 1/8 inch holes through the wheels. If this is too much work for you order wooden wheels from Technology Teaching Systems. They are about 37 cents each.
  5. Glue a metal wheel (from a juice container) on the doweling about 1 to 2 cm. from the end. Put a second wheel very close to this wheel and glue it on too. This will give more support.
  6. Put doweling through holes in frame of vehicle (chassis) and glue gun on rest of wheels.
  7. Once a vehicle is completed tape a 2 litre bottle onto it.
  8. Fill the bottle 1/3 full (so when it is laying on its side the water covers the opening).
  9. Fit a tapered cork with a bicycle needle through the cork. If the needle or cork leaks the project doesn't work as well.
  10. Take the project outside. Attach a bicycle pump to the needle and pump. Watch it go!


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