What you need:
- Paper - sugar paper or construction paper is best
- Sellotape
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Straw (slightly thinner than the pencil)
How to:
Cut a rectangular strip of paper about 12 centimetres long and 4
centimetres wide.
Roll the paper tightly around the pencil and sellotape along the
long edge.
Fold over one end of the tube into a cone shape and secure with
sellotape.
Remove the pencil and blow gently into the open end of the paper
rocket. Is any air escaping? Use more sellotape to seal the
leaks.
Cut out and fold two sets of fins using the pattern below.
Fin pattern - cut along the
solid lines and fold along the dashed lines
Sellotape the fins near the open end of the cylinder
Place the straw inside the open end of the rocket. Leave some of
the straw sticking out so you can hold it.
Blow hard through the straw and the rocket will fly! Don't aim
the rocket at anyone.
Get your friends and family to build rockets. Whose rocket flies
furthest? What happens if you make a rocket without fins? What
happens if you make a rocket with fins at the front?
What's happening?
Your paper rocket flies through the air like real rockets fly
through the Earth's atmosphere. Fins help the rocket fly further
and straighter through the atmosphere.
Visit NASA
to find out more about paper rockets and real rockets.