Since the winter break, our Grade 5 and 6 scientists have been studying density of fluids, energy transformations, and KMT (Kinetic Molecular Theory). They've learned how molecules gain kinetic energy when thermal energy is added and this causes them to move apart from each other which makes them less dense. The less dense air inside the balloon is what causes the balloons to rise. The culminating project for our learning was building hot air balloons out of tissue paper. We had ideal launch conditions yesterday and were quite successful in our efforts!
Every group was successfully able to get their balloons to fly. Most of the balloons flew over 100ft high and one group's balloon even went about 200ft high and landed over 600ft away!
Up next, renewables vs. non-renewables...
