Pop Rocket Challenge
Background:
 Alka-Seltzer contains citric acid and sodium
bicarbonate(baking soda), as well as medicines, stuff for
colds, allergies, or whatever else. In a seltzer tablet, Carbon
Dioxide (CO2), a gas, is produced as a result of a chemical
reaction that is able to start once the acid (citric acid) and
base (sodium bicarbonate) are allowed to mix in the water.
As the Carbon dioxide (CO2) gas builds up it creates enough
pressure to pop the canister off its top thrusting it into the air
like a rocket.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMA0A6vXiqU
The Scientific Method
The Goal
Your mission is design an
experiment that helps answer the
following question?
What are the conditions to
achieve maximum thrust in a film
canister rocket?
Parameters.
 You are only allowed to use alka-seltzer and water as the materials for
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your rocket fuel!
You must only test one variable(condition) at a time.
You should test four data points. A data point is the point you test data
at, each data point should have a unique set of conditions.
You must have a minimum of three launches for each data point you
test. Why is this necessary?
All measurements must be precise, accurate, and in metric units.
Forming our experiment, the hows
Variables
Hypothesis
Constants
Measurements
Reporting your findings
Slide Show
 Slide1: Purpose Question: Restate the question from this lab
handout. (2 points)
 Slide 2: Experiment Blueprint: Diagram of Experimental
procedure (3 points)
 Slide 3-6 Data Tables, graphs, video data (10 points)
 Slide 5 Summary of your findings in a paragraph form. ( 10
points)
 Presentation–You will just be presenting you findings to the
class, less than 2 minutes, order of presentations will be
chosen randomly.