Rocket Science

Today I built a bottle rocket with my dad and my brother.
The rocket is made with a plastic pop bottle and some duct tape.  The bottle has a cone on it so that it will cut through the air like a rocket ship.  In the mouth of the bottle is a cork with a hole through it, and this hole is fitted with a tire valve.  The valve hooks up to the pump.  The pump then pushes air into the bottle which makes pressure, launching the bottle.

You can add water so that the rocket has enough weight to go higher and further.  I've been experimenting with different amounts of water, and using no water at all. 

Using no water, the bottle only went a couple of feet.  But with water added, I estimate that it went 40 feet or higher sometimes. 

Filling a bottle

Adding air with a bike pump:

Ignition in 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...

Lift Off!