Boo-zooka
Halloween may be over, but the ghosts have overstayed. Children will join the ghostbusters in blasting some ghosts invading the classroom using their own air cannons. The kids will develop their blasters with the tools pre-packed and try to take down as many ghosts (paper cups decorated by children) set up in multiple pyramids.
As they experiment with distance and power, they’ll explore air pressure, motion, and vortex rings in action.
Elementary
air pressure, motion
Project Details
Theme
November | Physics
Messy Level
2
Suggested Location
Class or lab
Prep & Classroom Structure
Parents can demo using an Airzooka and a fog machine so the students can easily show that air is a form of matter and witness the air vortex for themselves.
The science behind the project, for your understanding during demo.
What’s happening: When the membrane is released, it quickly pushes air out through the circular opening. The air rolls into a spinning vortex ring—a moving ring of air that can stay together long enough to travel across the room and push objects in its path. The air in the center of a vortex moves forward while air around the outside rolls backward, creating the circulating ring.
Materials
Optional fog machine or safe theatrical fog for demonstrating the air vortex
Open classroom space
Paper cups with precut holes or pre-cut water bottles
balloons older students can cut
markers
fog machine
air zooka
Project Instructions
Have an adult cut a circular hole in the bottom of the plastic cup ahead of time.
Inflate a balloon once and let the air out to stretch the rubber and make it more flexible.
Cut off the narrow neck portion of the balloon so you are left with a wider opening.
Stretch the balloon tightly over the wide opening of the cup or bottle to create a flexible membrane.
Make a lightweight target using tissue paper attached to a craft stick, straw, or similar support.
Aim the open end of the cup toward the target.
Pinch the center of the balloon membrane, pull it back, and release.
Watch what happens as the burst of air travels forward and moves the target.
Experiment with different distances and different amounts of pull on the membrane.
For a teacher-led demonstration, add a small amount of theatrical fog inside the cup so students can see the circular vortex rings traveling through the air.
Class Video
Please share with teacher ahead of session