Lesson 4: Launch Dynamic Payload and Altitude
Duration of Days: 6.5
Lesson Objective
Students will safely use heat launchers to inflate their balloons and determine the maximum payload the balloon can carry.
1. How does adding a "payload" (washers) change the equilibrium of the balloon?
2. What environmental factors (wind/room temp) are helping or hurting your flight?
Altitude, Payload, Equilibrium, Neutral Buoyancy, Thermal Lift.
ENG.02.08: Test and evaluate the design solution.
The "Flight Test." Students use a propane or electric heat launcher. They record the time to lift-off and the maximum altitude. They then add paper clips or washers to see how much weight the balloon can carry before it fails to rise.
Purpose: To quantify the "work" the balloon is doing through data collection.
DOK Level: Level 4 (Extended Thinking).
Role-based testing: One student manages the heat source (Safety Officer), one manages the payload (Lead Engineer), and one records the altitude (Data Scientist).
Final Performance Graph: "Payload vs. Flight Duration." Students must explain why their balloon eventually descended.
Hot air balloon launcher, washers/paper clips, stopwatches, safety goggles, (safety demo video).