Guymon Junior 4-H’ers blast Hydro Rockets

June 19, 2012

Texas County Extension Educator, Brian Womack, instructs and watches 4-H members launch the rockets. Courtesy photo

The Guymon Junior 4-H Club met at the Texas County Commercial Building on Friday, June 8 to attend a workshop about hydro rockets.  
A hydro rocket is a rocket fueled by water. Each member brought a 2 liter bottle to the workshop and made her own rocket out of it. 
Each member used cardstock to make a cone for the top of her rocket and wings on the sides.    The wings and cone made the rockets more aerodynamic.   The fuel (water) was shot through the bottom of the rocket.   The end of a hose was inserted into the spout of the bottle until the bottle was half full of water.    Then the mouth of the bottle was put over a pipe connected to a motorized air pump which was used to pump the rocket full of air.  
Then the members pulled a rope connected to the rocket which released the rocket from the pipe.   
The rocket when released from the pipe shot into the sky because of the air pressure inside the rocket.  The water shot out of the bottom of the rocket as the rocket went up.  
The rockets went up hundreds of feet before returning to earth.    25 members attended this workshop and 25 rockets were launched.