Rainbow Rocket Science

 

We have been having lots of fun making things fizz, erupt, overflow, and catapult across the driveway.  Today we are having fun shooting rockets into the air.  It was a bumpy start to our alka-seltzer rocket experiment.  You could call it a project fail or a great way to learn even more from our simple science experiment.  We were determined to find the right formula to make the film canisters shoot high into the air.  With a little determination and a few extra tries we got the result we had hoped for the first time.

 

 

 

 

Rainbow Rocket Science

Supplies for Rainbow Rockets Science:

Film Canisters: 15 Pack

Alka-seltzer Original Effervescent Tablets, 72-Count

AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Food Color, Junior Kit-8 assorted colors,0.75 oz bottles

Poster board

tray

 

Note: before conducting a science experiment for the first time, try it before you set up a pretty photo shoot, lol. We had trouble to start but after we cleaned up our rainbow rockets we set out to make sure we could do it the right way.  We did and have our first FSPDT video to share with you today to prove it, lol.

 

How to create Rainbow Rocket Science:

Add food coloring to the bottom of canisters. Fill film canisters half way full of water (this is important).    I placed the lids back on them to carry outside.  I grabbed  several Alka-seltzer and placed them opened on a tray. I placed a piece of poster board down and then placed the experiment supplies on top.

 

Add a fourth of the Alka-seltzer to the canister.  Flip the canister over onto the lid.  Give it a few seconds.  Then be amazed!

 

What is happening during this science experiment:

 

The alka-seltzer is dissolving causing carbon dioxide to be released.  This pressure is building in the canister.  Once enough pressure has built up the lid will pop off.  This causes the “rocket” to fly in the air.

 

We saw that too much water will not produce enough pressure for a big “blast off”, we also found that 1/4 a tablet is all you need. Adding an entire tablet did not change the height the rocket went.  Half a canister of water and a forth of a tablet is the key to a successful rocket experiment with the kids.  Have fun with it and come up with your own extensions to explore with the kids.

 

 

More posts to check out:

Science Experiment Growing Crystal Rainbows

 

A-Z Science Experiments for Kids

Rainbow Inspired Activities for Kids

 

FIRST ever video to share on FSPDT. Excuses the side way start to the cell phone video I took, lol. Need to work on my video skills.

 

 

 

More fun from fellow co-hosts this week:

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