By Trilby
Looking for Newton’s Laws project ideas to help your students apply physics in a fun and interactive way? These engaging activities allow students to explore Newton’s three laws of motion in an exciting and hands-on way. Two of the best STEM activities to demonstrate these concepts are the balloon rocket and the egg car STEM challenge.
Balloon Rockets: Demonstrating Newton’s Third Law
Students will build a balloon rocket to explore Newton’s Third Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Materials
- Balloons
- String
- Straws
- Tape
- Measuring tape
- Air pump (optional)
Instructions
- Thread a drinking straw onto a long piece of string. Secure the string in a straight light between two fixed points.
- Blow up a balloon without tying it. Then, tape the balloon to the straw while pinching the end to prevent air from escaping.
- Release the balloon and observe how it propels forward as air rushes out in the opposite direction.
- Have students experiment by using different balloon circumferences or adding weight to explore how these variables affect motion.
Physics Concepts Applied:
- Newton’s Third Law: The force of the air pushing out of the balloon propels it forward in the opposite direction.
- Newton’s Second Law: The acceleration of the balloon depends on the mass of the balloon and the force of the escaping air.
- Newton’s First Law: The balloon remains stationary until an unbalanced force (air escaping) acts upon it.
Egg Car STEM Challenge: Exploring Interia and Impact Forces
Students will design, build, and test a vehicle that protects a raw egg from cracking in a simulated crash, demonstrating Newton’s Laws.
Materials
- Raw eggs
- Plastic wheels or hard lifesavers
- A ramp
- Disinfectant wipes
- Newspaper or a plastic tablecloth to cover eggs may crack
- Various building materials, such as wooden craft sticks, tape, cups, straws, pipe cleaners, etc.
Instructions
- Challenge students to build a small car that can carry an egg down a ramp and protect it as the car collides with an object at the end of the ramp.
- Test the car designs by placing eggs in the car and sending them down the ramp.
- Observe the damage each egg sustains and what design elements on the car helped protect the eggs.
- Encourage students to make adjustments to their cars and improve their prototypes.
Physics Concepts Applied:
- Newton’s First Law: The egg stays in motion until an external force acts on it.
- Newton’s Second Law: The force of the impact depends on the mass of the egg and the acceleration of the vehicle.
- Newton’s Third Law: The force of the car hitting the barrier is met with an equal and opposite from the barrier.
What Makes These Newton’s Laws Projects Great
- Hands-on application: Students actively engage with physics concepts rather than just reading about them.
- Critical thinking & problem solving: Each project challenges students to experiment, test variables, and refine their designs.
- Collaboration & creativity: These projects encourage teamwork while allowing for creative solutions.
Looking for More Support?
Want ready-to-go activities for teaching Newton’s Laws? Grab my Balloon Rocket Experiment and Egg Car STEM Challenge. You’ll get complete student worksheets, teacher guides, answer keys, and rubrics to make implementation easy.
Try these engaging Newton’s Laws project ideas in your classroom and watch your students develop a deeper understanding of physics in action.
