Rockets!

Adel has been saving a model rocket since his college days and finally decided it was time for lift off.

During assembly, Isaac asked, "What makes the rocket go up?"

This started a physics lesson on Isaac Newton's third law of motion: "To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction."  We marked a spot on the ground where the rolling chair started and then Isaac gave it a push so we could see how far the equal and opposite reaction would carry Abby.

Then we put both of them in rolling chairs and did the test again.

Surprise...Abby went farther.  Why?  According to Adel, because the mass was not equal (Isaac is heavier than Abby), the equal and opposite reaction of the push moved the object with less mass (Abby) farther than the object with more mass (Isaac).  

And, of course, he got out the white board to explain with equations and illustrations.  They can probably both now teach physics at a college level.

 Time to launch!

5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

Lift off!

Run and get it!

For the second launch, Abby decided she was brave enough to press the button again.  Isaac decided he would rather stand back and cover his ears.

 

"Parachutes are out.  Oh no!  The wind is carrying it toward the school roof!"

"Doh!"

 "Hmmmm..."

Isaac (Lagoy's) fourth law:

Ladder + Broom

= Rescued.