How to make Homemade Rocket with Vinegar and Baking Soda

Space...The final frontier. Our mission is to boldly go where no rocket on vinegar and baking soda has ever gone before!

“Status Number One?"

“All systems ready to launch captain."

“Engage!"

What better way to start today’s activity than with the familiar dialog between captain Picard and his first officer from the popular TV show Star Trek? Because today we will show you how to make homemade rocket and launch it on its very first exploration mission! All we need for our propulsion system is a little vinegar and baking soda.

How does it work?

When we mix vinegar (HCH3COO) and baking soda (NaHCO3), we get so-called acid-base reaction. Here vinegar is an acid and the baking soda is a base. An acid is a chemical that wants to get rid of positively charged hydrogen atom (proton) and base wants that proton. In that reaction when the baking soda receives proton from the acid, it transforms into water and carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide rapidly expands, and if the space is too small, it explodes.

While building a rocket, our goal is to allow that pressure to release at the right time and on the right spot. That will make our rocket defy gravity and launch upwards.

Materials

• Empty plastic bottle
• Vinegar
• Baking soda
• Cork
• Wooden sticks or pencils (for launching pad)
• Scotch tape
• Scissors
• Optional: Funnel

Instructions

1. Make launching pad out of wooden sticks or pencils. Tape 3 sticks so the bottle can stand on them. Tape the sticks so they are going over the bottle cap. When we put bottle on the sticks, the bottom of the bottle will look upwards, and the bottle cap will look down.
2. Check if your cork is a good fit for the bottle. If it’s not, you can use duct tape to make it fit better.
3. Decorate bott...rocket as you wish and you are ready to launch!
4. It would be really smart to go outside for this. :)
5. Pour vinegar (1 - 2 dL is enough)
6. Using funnel, pour baking soda in the bottle (1 - 2 spoons). Close the bottle with the cork and turn it over so it stands on the launching pad.
   1. If pressure builds too fast, you can put baking soda in a piece of paper, put in the bottle, put a cork on and shake it lightly so you start reaction
7. 3, 2, 1, Blastoff!!!

If you liked this activity and you are interested in more activities with vinegar and baking soda, try watching How to make a homemade Volcano. And for even faster launching, check out How to make a Match Head Rocket and enjoy more rocket science.

What will you develop and learn

• Engineering skills while building a rocket
• Aerodynamics
• Chemical reactions
• Fine motor skills
• That science is fun! :)

Original article at https://www.stemlittleexplorers.com/en/how-to-make-homemade-rocket-vinegar-baking-soda/