Idaho State University helps kids have fun while learning physics in the summer

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)- Idaho State University (ISU) is hosting the return of the water rocket festival in Tydeman Park in Pocatello. ISU students will help instruct students aged 16 and younger, learn the physics behind a water rocket, and help them build a functioning one.

The Students will have two hours on Saturday and Sunday to build and launch their rocket designs, starting at 10 am each day.

The first 100 students to enter the park will be able to have the materials for their rockets provided to them.

The student who is able to build the rocket that goes the farthest will win their very own water rocket launcher.

The kids who built the rockets say they had lots of fun experimenting and building their rockets.

"It was actually really great. I don't give all the credit to me because my dad helped me most of it so," said Emerson Dunker who was able to get her rocket to fly over three hundred and thirty feet.

"You really get to experiment on how you make your own rocket. They have different-sized liter bottles. They have two-liter bottles, like 16-ounce bottles. It's just really fun for the community," said Ellie Nelson who got her rocket to fly 336 feet.

Benjamin saw his rocket go 95 feet, of this feet he said, "I think because of the design. This is kind of crooked. So they put the cane, going that way."

ISU Students were helping the kids learn about how to build the rocket in the best way. They were excited to see the kids be enthusiastic and creative in their rocket models. "It's a nice summer day. They're coming out. They're getting to have a little competition and they're just very, very engaged. And it's really gratifying because they're more receptive. They're excited," said Charlie an ISU physics student.

Charlie added that while he encourages the kids to have fun and do what they want part of his job is to help them understand the principles behind building a good rocket. "I always encourage them to build as they want. But I do emphasize that there is kind of certain there are kind of certain ways to approach things to, you know, kind of optimize it. But at the end of the day, it's their rocket, it's their experience."

Dominic Hudson was out retrieving the rockets and measuring the distance. His experience with the kids made his whole day. "It's nice to see these kids be just as excited as we are, you know, hitting over 300 feet. And once they find out how far it is, it's great to see them. Their eyes light up and they're enjoying the process, going back, launching once, twice, even three times."

Hudson added that some kids through trial and error were able to figure out what worked better than others. Especially after he launched four different times. "Every time he launched to you would make an improvement. I think the fourth was like, in the middle. But overall, the first three, each one was gradually improving. You could tell he knew what he was talking about. He's excited about it."

ISU Physics Professor Steve Shopshire says the event is all about having fun and embracing the science. "It's a great way to sneak in some science into the summer for some kids. So we're hoping to have a couple hundred folks out there this weekend building rockets, learning a bit of science, learning about Newton's laws, and then applying those to water rockets. And we actually have a competition going to see who can launch the rocket the farthest."

Shopshire says the weather for the day was perfect, having over 40 kids come out to the event and building rockets.