Building a rocket.
Rockets are one of the strongest forces of lift made by man. A rocket engine is based on the rapid release of expanding gas through a very small opening. This acceleration causes a force against the ground and its opposite force carries the rocket into the air. These experiments are fun but also messy and are therefore best done outside.
You will need:
Rocket 1:
- A film canister
- Some vinegar
- A teaspoon
- And some baking powder.
- Some toilet paper
Rocket 2:
- An empty plastic soft drinks bottle
- Water
- An air pump
- A piece of thin rubber tubing
- A cork stopper
- A silicone sealer cartridge nozzle
- Masking tape
- Thick cardboard
- A robust pair of scissors or a blade
- A short piece of drain pipe, or a tin can without lid and bottom
- Valve of inner car tyre
And last but not least ... a helping hand from an adult.
We want your feedback!
Have you tried the experiment?
Do you have comments?
Do you need any help?
Contact us at feedback@xlab.tv and tell us about it!
Method
Rocket 1
Check that the film canister lid is clean and seals off well. Pour about one to two centimetres of vinegar. Using a teaspoon get some baking powder and put it into a small piece of toilet paper and screw it up. Place the paper with bicarbonate against the canister lid, close the lid well, and immediately place it upside down on the ground or on a table.
Keep your head well away from the canister and stand well back!
Rocket 2
Attach the silicone cartridge sealer nozzle to the bottom of the plastic bottle with tape. Try to place it in the centre as much as possible. You’ve now built the nose-cone of your rocket. This will cut through the air to help the rocket shoot upwards.
Now you need to make fins to make the rocket more stable. On a piece of thick cardboard draw a triangle. On one side of the triangle draw a rectangle, about two centimetres wide. Once that’s ready, cut out the fin, and then make another two. Fix the fins around the middle of the bottle using some masking tape. The rocket is now ready but you need to prepare a few other things before lift off.
Get the drain pipe and cut a small dent at one end, so that the hose can pass through without problems. This will hold the rocket upright.
Now ask an adult to help you drill a hole into the cork stopper. Force the tyre valve through the cork so that the part which attaches to the pump is on the wider side of the cork which will be on the outside of the bottle. Attach the hose to the tyre valve and pass the other end of the hose through the dent in the drain pipe. Connect it to the pump.
Next pour some water into the bottle. It should be just slightly less than half full. Use the cork to seal the bottle. Don’t squeeze it in too much but make it seal well.
Turn the bottle upside down so that the rocket is facing upwards, making sure the hose is passing through the dent in the drainpipe, and rest the rocket onto the drainpipe. Pump air into the bottle until the pressure inside it is enough to push out the cork stopper, and the rocket shoots upwards!