How to Plan a Two-Stage Water Bottle Rocket

Phase 1: Construction

• 1

  Design your rocket and plan its construction. Use tape if you are not too concerned about appearance, or a glue gun if you are.

• 2

  Choose the colors of the rocket and select poster board accordingly. Plan the shape and size of the rocket fins and cut out four fins. Glue or tape them to the sides of the bottle (near the top) to add stability.

• 3

  Roll the fifth piece of poster board into a cone shape and cut off the bottom so that it is level. Tape the clay into the inside tip of the nose cone to stabilize your craft. Tape or glue the nose cone to the bottom of your bottle.

• 4

  Choose a rubber stopper that fits into the bottle top. Drill a hole in the stopper that is just big enough to fit the needle of the bicycle pump in snugly. Pour water into the bottle until it is one-quarter to one-third full. Fit the stopper with needle into the bottle top.

Phase 2: The Launch

• 5

  Launch your rocket successfully through careful planning. Plan the launch for a wide-open area that is free of people and animals.

• 6

  Stabilize the rocket by taping the straw to its side. Stick the metal rod into the ground at a 45-degree angle and feed it into the straw.

• 7

  Connect the needle to the bicycle pump and start pumping. Soon the pressure inside the bottle will be too great and the stopper will pop out, shooting the rocket high into the sky.