CD Balloon

Hovercraft
Kat 6B, Claire 6B, Gigi 6B

Experiment
A hovercraft made using a CD or other disk,
balloon filled with air, and a sports cap.

Questions
1. What kind of disk makes the hovercraft go the highest?
and farthest?
2. What size balloon is the best?
3. Why does the hovercraft fly? how does pressure explain
it?
4. On what surface does the hovercraft best work?
5. Which kind of lid promotes the most continuous air flow?
Which one allows the hovercraft to go highest and farthest?
6. What is the perfect balloon to disk to cap ratio?

CD Balloon
Hovercraft
The hovercraft works because air is escaping at a steady
pace, forming pressure and reducing friction between the
hovercraft and floor. The balloon has air pressure, and
wants to deflate, but because of the sports caps small
opening, only a little bit of air escapes at a time. The CD is
flat and smooth, and its weight is evenly distributed, so
when the air escapes from the balloon, it is lifted off the
ground. A layer of air is formed between the CD and the
floor, and it pushes the CD off the floor. Because there is
no contact between the CD and floor, friction is reduced
between the two surfaces. The hovercraft can glide easily
on the cushion of air.

Air Hockey Table

Mechanism
This mechanism is similar to that of an air hockey table. Air
hockey tables are filled with small holes on top of the table
surface and in the sides. When the table is turned on, an
air compressor inside the table is turned on. Air is pushed
through the top of the table, making the hollow pucks,
similar to the CD, hover slightly. For this reason, air hockey
pucks zoom around the table effortlessly.

Real Hovercrafts!
Hovercrafts are supposedly a futuristic method of
transportation, but no one really thinks about the science
behind it. Hovercrafts are often boats that need lift to
move. Propellers shoot air down at the surface of the water
or ground to lift it up a few inches. They use something
called skirts that creates a pocket of air between the
hovercraft and ground, allowing it to hover. The skirts must
be the perfect length and weight, otherwise it would start to
let air escape and it would become disproportioned. This
would cause the hovercraft to slowly sink to one side and
fail, which would probably damage the hovercraft and
possibly harm you.

Real-Life Hovercrafts

Hypothesis
Big balloons and small CDs will make the hovercraft go for
the longest amount of time, because the CDs are not
heavy, but reduce friction, and the big balloon contains
more air, so the hovercraft can hover for a longer amount of
time.

Variables
Independent: The size of the balloon, the size
of the disk used.
Dependent: How long the hovercraft hovers.
Control: The type of cap used, the surface on
which the hovercraft hovers. The size of the
hole in the disk.

Procedure
1. Using super glue, glue the bottom of the sports cap to
the inside rim of the CD.
2. Blow up the balloon.
3. Put the lip of the balloon over the top of the sports cap
4. Once the balloon is secure, put the hovercraft on the
ground.
5. Pull the top up on the sports cap
6. Repeat this using different combinations of disks and
balloons.

Pictures of our
science experiment

Pictures of our
experiment

Mid-Experiment
results
Test 1: Small disk, medium balloon. 4 seconds,
35 ms.
Test 2: Small disk, large balloon. 13 seconds,
97 ms.
Test 3: Small disk, water balloon. 0 sec.
Test 4: Regular disk, medium balloon. 5 sec. 36
ms.
Test 5: Regular disk, large balloon. 19 sec.

Mid-experiment
According to the experiment, the larger disk
hovers for a longer amount of time. Our theory
is that because the disk is larger, it allows less
air to escape at one time. Therefore, a larger
disk will allow the hovercraft to hover for a
longer amount of time. We can conclude this
experiment by trying an even larger disk, like a
record.
Small disk: 11g. Regular disk: 19g. Record:
139g.

Conclusion
Our theory was correct!
When we tried the record, it lasted 13 seconds
longer than the fastest time with the normal
sized CD.
Our conclusion is, the hovercraft hovers the
longest when a larger balloon and larger disk is
used.

Cites
sciencesquad.questacon.edu.
au/activities/cd_hovercraft.html
http://www.education.
com/sciencefair/article/DIY-Hovercraft/
http://www.ehow.com/howdoes_5347986_air-hockey-tables-work.html