The key to the ease of movement is reducing friction. A simple way to think of friction is to think about how things rub together. It is easier to rollerblade on a smooth sidewalk than a gravel path because the sidewalk has less friction. The wheels of the rollerblade do not rub as much against the sidewalk as they do all the pieces of gravel on the path.
Similarly, the air cushion beneath the hovercraft greatly reduces the friction of the vehicle, allowing it to glide freely upon the land or water below. In this aerodynamics and hydrodynamics science project, you will build your own mini hovercraft using a CD or DVD, pop-top lid from a plastic drinking bottle, and a balloon. The balloon will create the air currents the hovercraft needs to work.
These air currents will travel through the pop-top lid and go beneath the hovercraft. You will fill the balloon up with different amounts of air to test if more air will cause the hovercraft to travel for longer periods of time.
A balloon blown up with a lot of air will provide a large volume of air, and a balloon blown up with less air will provide a smaller volume of air. Will a balloon with a large volume of air make the hovercraft travel longer than a balloon with a smaller volume of air? There are many designs for balloon hovercrafts. Here are three design sources for this science project:. Proceeds from the affiliate programs help support Science Buddies, a c 3 public charity, and keep our resources free for everyone.
Our top priority is student learning. If you have any comments positive or negative related to purchases you've made for science projects from recommendations on our site, please let us know. Write to us at scibuddy sciencebuddies. Figure 2. Your completed hovercraft should look like one of the ones shown here. The hovercraft on the left was made using a pop-top lid while the hovercraft on the right was made using a valve. Science Buddies materials are free for everyone to use, thanks to the support of our sponsors.
What would you tell our sponsors about how Science Buddies helped you with your project? Compared to a typical science class, please tell us how much you learned doing this project. Much more. Try one of our science activities for quick, anytime science explorations. The perfect thing to liven up a rainy day, school vacation, or moment of boredom. Menu Science Projects. Project Guides. View Site Map. Science Projects. Grade Levels. Physical Science. Earth and Environmental Science.
Behavioral and Social Science. Ice hockey depends upon the puck being able to slide across ice. Curling, a sport similar to shuffleboard but with heavy stones instead of pucks, also needs ice to slide across.
Team members actually sweep the ice in front of moving stones to help reduce friction and guide the stones to the target. Bobsleds and luge sleds run down ice-covered chutes to achieve breakneck speeds. The chutes twist and turn. Runner blades on the sleds reduce downhill friction to attain high speeds while increasing sideways friction to help steer the turns. Reducing friction makes it easier to start objects moving. The law states that objects remain still unless acted upon by unbalanced forces.
In other words, if forces on an object are unbalanced, the object moves. What then is an unbalanced force? To understand unbalanced forces, imagine what would happen if you and a friend were to push on each other with equal force. Neither of you would move because the forces are balanced. However, if one of you pushes harder than the other, movement takes place because now the forces are unbalanced.
An ice hockey puck, for example, is resting on the ice. The ice surface is very slick, but it still has a small amount of friction. When a player smacks the puck, the puck shoots across the rink. The force exerted on the puck by the stick is far greater than the force of friction trying to hold the puck where it is. Consequently, the forces are unbalanced, and the puck shoots away. In ice hockey, the goalie will try to exert an unbalanced force by blocking the puck. If the goalie misses, the goal net will exert the unbalanced force and stop the puck - score 1!
Sometimes the skirt is made in sections which overlap which help stop air from escaping. On the downside, hovercraft are pretty noisy. Get the series on your phone or tablet and listen whenever you like — at home, in the car or onboard your very own ship! Find out how huge, heavy container ships manage to float on the water and how submarines can go for months and months sitting at the bottom of the ocean! You can hear new episodes weekdays from 8am on Fun Kids — and catch-up on previous episodes in full now!
More to click Who Runs the Business? May 30, Thanks, Ryan! May 11, Smells like updog in here. Chris Nov 27, Nov 28, Apr 18, Antonio perez Oct 18, Oct 18, We're glad you learned some new things from this Wonder, Antonio! Francis Tormen Jan 7, Oct 14, Thanks for joining the discussion, corniya! We hope this Wonder gave you some new ideas! Jan 7, Jonathan Sep 24, Sep 26, Sep 24, Coolboy Feb 22, Wonderopolis Feb 24, Lawrence Young Jul 17, I think It would be cool to be a hovercraft like in sonic colors play on wii and nintendo ds.
Wonderopolis Jul 17, It's a vehicle that goes on water land and air multi powered engine. Wonderopolis Apr 22, Brooke Apr 16, Wonderopolis Apr 16, I really think that this is a huge step in our future. Wonderopolis Mar 17, Kyle striker Mar 15, I don't get this wonder.
Do you guys? Could you explain this wonder to me? If you could, that would be great!! Wonderopolis Mar 15, Wonder Friend "B" Nov 16, Any tips on the project for me? Wonderopolis Nov 16, Wonder Friend "B" Nov 15, I definitely will! I'm currently doing a science project on Hovercrafts and how they work and this is a GREAT wonder to teach me about it! Wonderopolis Nov 15, Wonder Friend "B" Nov 7, What would the future be like if hovercrafts were solar powered and could fly higher?!?!
Wonderopolis Nov 7, Wonderopolis Oct 5, Hi there Sawyer, that sounds pretty cool! We Wonder if you've ever been to England before?!
Brian Sep 26, How do hovercrafts really work because the hovercraft in the video looks like a boat and didn't seem to hover at all?
Smile May 23, Cool, hover crafts are awesome. I wonder what would happen if you put those fans on a car.
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