Alka-Seltzer Rockets

Materials:

• film canister
• one Alka-Seltzer tablet
• a few teaspoons of water
• paper towels (yes, it's a little messy)
• construction paper
• crayons
• tape
• adult supervision!

Think about it:

• Drop an Alka-Seltzer tablet into an open glass of water first.  Watch how they react and think about what might happen when all those bubbles get trapped in a tiny canister. 
• Look at pictures of rockets and airplanes for inspiration.  What kinds of differences do you notice in the shapes of the bodies and wings? Do you think this affects how they fly?

How to:

1. Decorate your film canister!  Turn the canister upside down so that the lid is on the table and the bottom points toward the ceiling.  Use the construction paper, crayons and tape to make the coolest rocket you can imagine!  Give it a pointy top and some wings to make sure it soars!
2. Carefully fill the film canister about halfway with room temperature water. 
3. Take a deep breath and get your adult handy! 
4. As your adult holds the film canister, drop in the Alka-Seltzer tablet. Get the cap on as quickly as possible before the air escapes!
5. Place the rocket on the table (lid down, like before) and back away!
6. Count down... 5...4...3...2...1..
7. BLAST OFF!
8. Repeat until you've had as much fun as possible.

Hints & Suggestions:

• Use a water-tight film canister for best results. 

• Try the experiment again using water that's much colder or much hotter than what you used the first time.  What kind of difference do you notice?
• Make more than one rocket and set them off at the same time.  If you make different body & wing shapes, do they fly differently?  Have races!