Today Years 7 & 8 used airflow to reduce friction and made CD hovercrafts in Science Club at lunchtime!

Try this experiment out at home by following the instructions below:

You will need:

Plastic bottle with pop-top (see picture below)

CD or DVD

Sellotape

Balloon

Instructions: 

1. Center the pop-top cap over the hole in the middle of the CD.
2. Use the sellotape to secure the cap in place. Make sure your seal all of the gaps airtight to prevent any air from escaping.
3. Push down on the pop-top cap to make sure it is closed.
4. Inflate the balloon. Twist the end to keep the air from coming out but do not tie it closed.
5. Stretch the mouth of the balloon over the pop-top cap. Be sure not to let too much air escape from the balloon.
6. Adjust the balloon so it stands up straight and centered over the CD.
7. Place you CD Hovercraft on a smooth surface and open the pop-top by pulling it up.
8. Give your CD Hovercraft a gentle push and observe what happens.