Science – It’s a Blast!

Water rockets blasting through the air more than 50 feet high, powered by the mere force of air, were launched by DEP’s Office of Environmental Education (OEE) as part of the Tallahassee National High Magnetic Field Laboratory’s (Magnet Lab) Annual Open House, held each February. Thousands of participants and attendees, both young and young at heart, flocked to the event that is filled with hands-on demonstrations that put the magic in science – no matter your age.

DEP’s OEE staff was on hand to demonstrate their latest tool to help promote science literacy, and it took the form of a water rocket. Easy to build, safe and fun, water rockets are a perfect device to engage students in physical science. They demonstrate a wide range of lessons in science, technology and engineering, as well as mathematics. With less than $20 and a few common household items, students can quickly assemble the technology to launch a two-liter soda bottle up to 100 feet into the air.

The water rocket’s design and development is a hands-on engineering lesson itself. Every launch is a science investigation where students can manipulate variables, such as the air pressure, amount of fuel (water) and the shape of the rocket itself. Using simple mathematical operations, students can calculate their flight time and even the acceleration of the rocket.

The OEE staff realized very quickly that the water rocket experimentation was a perfect match for its hands-on ‘Learning in Florida’s Environment’ (LIFE) program, taking students outside the classroom to address important physical science concepts. They learn that the water flowing out of Florida’s springs and the water that launches the rocket is the result of two similar forces. In the case of springs’, it’s the potential energy from a column of water in a confined space that can move water up to the surface. With the rocket, it is the potential energy from air pumped/compressed into a confined space that forces the water out of the rocket.

The old adage associating complex concepts with rocket science may be on its way out. Research supports the use of hands-on, project-based lessons that offer students an opportunity to learn about science by practicing science. Whether it’s water rockets, GPS (Global Positioning Systems) units or water quality monitoring, the DEP’s LIFE program offers teachers and students the opportunity to close their books, open their minds and begin to literally learn about science in Florida’s environment.

For more than 15 years, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory’s (Magnet Lab) has brought science to a new level in Tallahassee as the result of a collaborative effort between the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, the University of Florida in Gainesville and Florida State University. Its annual Open House demonstrates the fun that students can have with science. Last year more than 5,500 people attend the Open House, setting a new record for attendance. To see a sample of this year’s creative demonstrations, visit http://www.tallahassee.com/section/VideoNetwork?bctid=69038758001#/Magnet%20Lab%20Open%20House%202010/69038758001.