A Meat Tray Car!

In just 10 steps, make a meat tray car powered by the air in a balloon and see how far it will travel.
Courtesy Discovery Science Center

There are many ways to get people and things from place to place: automobiles, trains, planes, trucks and bicycles--just to name a few. This activity will show you how to create a new kind of transportation--a meat tray car powered by the air in a balloon!

Materials needed: small rectangular meat tray; tape; 3 straws; 2 bamboo skewers; 4 lids from 35-millimeter film canisters; balloon; some help from an adult.

Step 1: Clean and dry the empty meat tray.

Step 2: Turn the tray so the long sides are at the top and bottom. Tape two of the straws across the tray, one on the right and the other on the left side of the tray.

Step 3: Slide a bamboo skewer through both of the straws.

Step 4: Ask an adult to poke a hole in the center of each film canister lid.

Step 5: Place the lids onto the ends of the bamboo skewers, making sure they fit snugly. Your car now has wheels!

Step 6: Turn the meat tray over again, so the wheels are ready to roll.

Step 7: Tape the balloon securely onto one end of the third straw.

Step 8: Tape the straw onto the center of the meat tray, so the end without the balloon extends over the back edge of the meat tray forming the "exhaust pipe."

Step 9: Have an adult cut a small notch in the meat tray to make the "exhaust pipe" fit better.

Step 10: Now blow into the straw to inflate the balloon. Set the car down and see how fast it goes.

How far will your car go with one blow into the balloon? Will it go twice as far if you blow twice into the balloon? What do you think will happen if you use a larger balloon? Have fun!

You can learn more about science at Discovery Science Center. For more information, call (714) 542-CUBE or visit www.discoverycube.org.

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