Balloon-Propelled Car Project Ideas

Fastest Car

• Try different materials for building your cars to see which will go the fastest. For this experiment to work, use the same type of balloon on each car. Create your balloon-powered cars from different types of boxes or any material light enough for the balloon to propel them forward. Secure the balloon in each and position them all at a starting line created by a straight piece of masking tape on the floor. You'll need one person to hold each car. When you or someone else gives the signal, everyone releases their balloon car and the one to cross the finish line first is the fastest. Repeat the test three times to see whether your results stay the same. If you need ideas on how to assemble your car, see the link in the Resource section of this article.

Longest Distance Traveled

• This experiment works similarly to the race mentioned in Step 1, only now you try to see which car goes the farthest instead of the fastest. Use the same type of balloon, inflated the same amount, for each car and line them up on the starting line again. Clear away any items or clutter that might block the path, then let the cars go. You can do this all at once or one at a time. If the cars swerve a lot, racing them one at a time makes it less likely for the car to collide with other items. Measure how far each car went once it rolls to a stop. Repeat this three times and see which car typically went the farthest.

Best Balloon Type

• Finally, try an experiment to see which balloon works the best. You can test to see which type of balloon powers a car the farthest, or which balloon makes it go the fastest. Choose one car and test several different types of balloons on it. You might try a regular party balloon, a long pencil balloon used for making balloon animals and a balloon filled with helium instead of air. Determine which balloon works best with your car based on whether you're testing distance or speed. You can also test for both and see whether the same balloon works best or one balloon works better in one area, such as speed, while a different balloon works in another area, such as distance.