My son's fourth grade teacher had them do this experiment which his Cub Scout troop later used for their booth at the Scout-a-Rama.
It was a favorite! This only works with the white film cannisters because of the way they fasten on top.
You will need:
- The center tube from a roll of toilet paper
- A paper plate
- White film cannister
- Some water
- One Alka Seltzer tablet
First you need to make your rocket launcher. Tape the tube to the paper plate in an up position. Decorate as desired. Put a small amount of water in the film cannister, then take it, the launcher, and an Alka Seltzer tab outside.
Put the launcher on the ground in a clear area, drop the Alka Seltzer into the cannister, then quickly put the lid on the cannister, drop it in the launcher upside down and stand back!
This is a great experiment. We found that you can even use half a tab and get good results. See whose can "fly" the highest. I've been told this also works with baking soda and vinegar, but haven't tried it. Have fun!
Contributed by Carol Gibson, csag@impulsedata.net |
