Handout 04 “Others”

Air pressure rocket

Improvised borer

Water lens microscope

1

AIR PRESSURE ROCKET

Introduction

Air pressure rocket is a comprehensive example of action and reaction. We can use a bicycle air pump to charge

air into a 1.5L plastic bottle which has approximately 350ml of water. After pumping several times you can

release the rocket, the rocket will spout water and air instantly and fly up into the sky.

Materials

Rocket body: Three 1.5L plastic bottles, a 31 cm x 12 cm urethane foam carpet and some rubber bands

Launcher: A bicycle air pump, a BIC ball-point pen outer tube, two rubber corks (cut out from a rubber

sandal) and insulation tape

Tools

A good pair of scissors, a cork borer or a sharp cutter (or a razor blade) and a stapler

Overview of the rocket

Method

1. How to make the nose cone and the fin holder

We can make a nose cone-cum-shock absorber and a fin holder using

a 1.5L Voltic bottle. Cut the bottle along the red lines and red dot

lines.

Upper and lower parts must have four bulges and five grooves.

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2. How to make and fix fins to the fin holder

Cut 1.5L plastic bottle transversely

like the picture above.

We need 2x three bulge cut-outs.

Trim upper and lower edges

clearly. Only two grooves in the

middle of the cut-outs must remain.

Cut them perpendicularly at two

opposite corners. We will have

four L shape pieces.

Using a sharp cutter or a razor

blade make two cracks on inner

side of the grooves on L shape

pieces.

Fold the L shape pieces to open the

cracks.

Cut off one of the limb of each L

shape piece into half to make fin’s

roots. Then cut the opposite

limbs like the picture above to

make shapes of the fins.

Insert the fins into the slits of the

fin holder. Overlap the grooves

and bulges of the fins with the

grooves and bulges of the holder.

An overhead view of the fin holder

and the fins

A view from the bottom of the

holder

A nose cone-cum-shock absorber,

the fin holder, fins and a rocket

body (a 1.5L Plastic bottle)

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3. How to assemble an air pressure rocket

Use a new bottle with no scratches and cracks to make a rocket body.

4. Air pump attachment

Make two rubber corks which fit the mouth of the

bottle firmly. Make holes in the middle of the corks

to insert a ball-point pen outer tube. Fix the corks

using insulation tape. Then insert the corn shape end

of the tube into the pump adaptor.

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5. Water level and launch

1) Go to your school yard or any large open space where there are no cars, no people, no livestock, no buildings

and no electric wires ahead of the rocket.

2) If it is windy, wait for calm.

3) Hold the rocket upside down and pour tap water in between second and third groove from the bottom of the

bottle.

4) Insert the attachment up to the end of second rubber cork into the bottle mouth.

5) Hold the bottom of the rocket covering the mouth with your palm firmly and face the rocket toward empty

wide space (at least 50m x 50m).

6) Remove electronic or electric gadgets from your body. A person who holds the rocket particularly must not

have expensive gadgets in the pockets. He/she will be splashed.

7) Adjust the angle of the rocket. 30 to 60 degrees is recommendable.

8) Ask your counterpart to start pumping using full stroke. Your hands will feel strong pressure from the

bottle mouth.

9) After pumping 6 to 9 times, release the rocket instantly. Must not do pumping more than 10 times.

10) Before the second launch make sure to re-adjust the nose cone and stabilizing fins. If the rocket body bottle

has damage even small scratches and cracks, you must not use the bottle again. Use a new strong plastic

bottle!

5

IMPROVISED BORER

Introduction

Soft rubber slippers are essential materials to make rubber corks which are used as wheels, stoppers and air pump

attachments. We usually use a metal borer to make rubber corks but it is difficult to find its dealers. However,

even if you do not have a metal borer, you make can rubber corks using an improvised borer. All you have to do

is sharpen a plastic bottle rim.

1. Materials and tools

A plastic bottle, a rubber slipper, a pair of scissors and a sheet of fine water proof sandpaper

2. How to make and use an improvised borer

Cut a plastic bottle to have an

upper part of the bottle.

Using fine sandpaper, sharpen the

outer rim of the mouth.

Keep on rotating and sliding it on

the sandpaper smoothly.

Do not sandpaper too deep.

Mouth of finished improvised

borer.

We have a rim which has a wedge

shape cross section.

Shape the improvised borer to grip

it easily.

Face the rim on a rubber slipper

and screw borer downward.

Pressing the borer downward and

keep on screwing.

Until the rim reaches opposite side

of the slipper.

Boring samples.

“Improvised cork borer” JICA Senior Volunteer Hideo Nakano (February 2011)

6

WATER LENS MICROSCOPE (Ghana water bottle version)

Introduction We can make single lens microscopes from a 1.5L mineral water bottle. A true round water drop can work as a

lens to magnify the object. Though it usually takes time to familiarise with making the water lens and focusing,

you will find the microscope gives you fantastic magnified images.

The power of water lens microscope is about 110 (1.5mm diameter water lens) to 80 (2.0mm diameter water lens)

magnifications.

Materials and tools A 1.5L plastic bottle, a black permanent marker, a ruler, some toothpicks, a small water container and a good pair

of scissors

Method

Cut 1.5L plastic bottle transversely

like the picture above.

Trim upper and lower edges

clearly. Only two grooves in the

middle of the cut-outs must be

remained.

Cut them perpendicularly at two

opposite corners. We will have

two L-shape pieces.

Pick up one L-shape piece and

adjust the shape like the drawing

above.

Fold the belt-shaped part like the

drawing above to make a water

lens tray part.

Paint backside of the lens tray in

black using a permanent marker.

Leave 1.5mm diameter circle

transparent in the middle of the

black belt. Hook right end of the

tray onto the base.

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Turn the microscope over Place a piece of thin plant tissue

(e.g. single cell-layered purple

onion epidermis) right above the

hole of black belt.

Drop a drop of water on the tissue

using a toothpick.

Cover the tissue with 8mm x 10mm

plain plastic sheet which can be cut

from the same bottle.

Turn the microscope over again.

Then place small amount of water

using a toothpick to make a 1.5 to

2.0 mm diameter water lens right

above the hole of the black belt.

Try several times to make a true

round drop.

Face the water lens to your eye and

face the bottom of the base to a

light source. Adjust the focus

through pressing and releasing lens

tray gently.

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WATER LENS MICROSCOPE Instruction photos of 500 - 750 ml cylindrical bottle version

We need a cylindrical part which

has three horizontal bulges like the

photo above.

Trim grooves on each side.

Cut middle of the part to make “C”

shape.

Trim the part along the red line.

The tail shape part does not have

any grooves. It has a plain tape

shape.

The trimming has been finished.

Then cut along the red line on the

photo above.

Make sure the right side is flat. If

it not flat, please trim it again.

Fold the tape part twice like the

photo above to hook on the base.

Please read “WATER LENS MICROSCOPE” instruction