Home >> Science & Nature >> Science

How to Build a Paper Rocket for School

Isaac Newton's third law of motion states, "For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction." You can create a paper rocket to examine and show this law in action. Using simple household items such as film canisters and construction paper, you can complete this project quickly and easily. Once the rocket is complete, you can test its functionality with a live launch. While the rocket won't blast off into outer space, it will still give you a feel for how a real rocket works.

Things You'll Need

Construction paper
Empty plastic 35 mm film canister with snap-on lid
Tape
Pen
Scissors
Markers
Alka-Seltzer tablets
Water

Instructions

- 1
  Wrap your construction paper around a 35 mm film canister so it forms a cylindrical tube shape.
- 2
  Tape the rolled paper tube together. Remove the canister by pushing it out with a pen or other long, narrow object.
- 3
  Cut the paper tube down to a desirable length with scissors. Experiment with different designs to find out which works best for the functionality of the model.
- 4
  Cut out a circle from the construction paper. Cut away a slice of the circle that comprises one-quarter of the entire piece. This will allow you to wrap the remaining three-quarters of the circle into a cone shape that will act as the nose of your rocket. Use tape to attach the cone to the top of the rocket's tube body.
- 5
  Cut out triangular fins from the construction paper. Attach three or four fins to the base of the rocket with tape.
- 6
  Add decorations to the rocket with markers.

Science