Discussion Questions: Designing Balloon Cars
One student states that a balloon car can't be designed for both speed and distance. Why do you think a fast car cannot cover as much distance as a slow car? What was the problem these students were trying to solve? How did they use data (measurements) from their tests? Explain why some friction is necessary for wheeled vehicles to move. What were some of the design considerations that students had to keep in mind? Why did a juice carton make a good chassis for these balloon cars? Everyone had the same design challenge, yet their solutions (their cars) were not exactly the same. Why do you think this was so?
