Science Secrets · Drawing 18 of 40
A Balloon Rocket Takes Off
Space
When air rushes out of the balloon one way, the balloon is pushed the other way. Rockets also move by pushing gas out behind them. It’s a little action-and-reaction experiment!
Did you know?
A rocket can move even in space, where there is no air to push against.
Look together
Which way would the balloon move?
An idea to try
An adult blows up a balloon, tapes it to a straw on a taut string and holds it. Predict which way it will move, then the adult lets it go. Pieces of a popped balloon go straight in the garbage.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
The expelled air and balloon exert opposite forces. A rocket does not need to push against outside air. The setup guides the balloon along the string. Uninflated or popped latex balloons are a choking hazard for young children: keep them out of reach, and use a latex-free balloon if anyone has a latex allergy.
Sources and illustration notes (1)
Simplified scene and shapes. Models, imagined comparisons and enlargements do not preserve all real measurements.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- NASA Glenn: Rocket ThrustThrust comes from Newton’s third law of motion: a rocket expels hot exhaust gas through a nozzle. It carries its own oxidizer, so it works in space, where there is no surrounding air.
Page prepared on October 12, 2026. Illustrations are simplified for colouring.
This drawing is from the book Science Secrets to Colour
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