Returning to Rongrean Krapong Dang for our second workshop, we were glad to see many children turn up to participate, all of whom were eager to learn.
Those arriving first were entertained with being given complete creative freedom in designing and colouring their own rockets on paper, before we went onto scientific matters. As rockets would have to fly up into the air, “what goes up must come down,” therefore, gravity was a main topic for this lesson. Newton’s Laws, pressure, zero gravity and air resistance (this was demonstrated through a paper aeroplane practical to see how the surface area of the wings correlated to the distance of flight) were also introduced.
Later, the children saw the physics in action as they created their own rockets from recycled plastic bottles, making sure it would be as aerodynamic as possible to reduce air resistance, and launched it. The rocket was operated by increasing the pressure inside with a simple air pump and with a liquid in the bottle to prevent the air from escaping out.
The rocket soared several stories high and was an overall excellent demonstration of Newton’s third law. Rocket launching then became a competition to see who could make the rocket fly up the highest. Parachutes were then also added to see its impact on the descent of the rocket - a link to the air resistance topic introduced earlier. Lastly, the workshop concluded with a recap on the science shown in the practicals. (Scroll down to see the video!)
We are thankful for those who have made it possible for us to have the opportunity to interact and teach the younger students. We hope they have found the workshop both meaningful and inspiring.