Slow Balloon Rise
Goal: To build a weight that will allow a set of 12 balloons to rise as slowly as possible to a height of 17 feet. Launch will happen from a release pin, and balloons must rise continuously without changing direction or pausing during rise. Each team will have two attempts.
Rules and Requirements:
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Each team will be given a packet that will contain the following items:
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Backpack Artie
Scotch tape
Scissors
1 Sharpie
1 small key ring
1 large key ring
4 small washers
3 large washers
2 medium washers
10 paperclips
Beading string
10 pieces of colored card stock
1 piece of poster board
1 inflated balloon with ribbon
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Each room will have a glue stick, a meter stick, a stapler, a scale and the internet for your use.
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Each team should use the items in the packet to create a weight. This weight must make the set of 12 balloons rise (continuously) the SLOWEST upon launch in the Performing Arts Center at the end of the day.
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The length of the ribbon that connects each of the 12 balloons to the key ring for the final round is roughly 1 meter.
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The “Backpack Artie” is a required part of your final weight as it is the object used to attach the weights to the set of 12 balloons.
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The balloons must rise continuously. If at any point the balloon stops rising or begins to fall, the run is disqualified.
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After the first launch attempt in the final competition, each team will be given 30 seconds to make modifications to their weight using only the following items: scissors, paper clips, card stock and Scotch tape. The slower of the two runs will be recorded as each team’s time.
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The team with the longest time wins the event.
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In the case of a tie, the tied teams will each be given one more attempt. The winner of that attempt will be declared the winner of the competition.
There should be only one team of three students per school. If a student is on the project team, he/she may not take part in the math competition or science competition as the project competition will take place during the other competitions.
aaron.jesse@scottsdalecc.edu
Mathematics Faculty
Scottsdale Community College