Does Water Temperature Affect the Reaction Time of an Akla-Seltzer
Explosion?
Jessica Goodwin
Period 1
George Washington Middle School
8th Grade
Alexandria, Virginia
My experiment is to see if the water temperature affects the reaction
time of an Alka-Seltzer explosion. I believe that it will affect the time of
how fast the CO2 builds up because the faster it builds up, the quicker the
reaction and therefore the explosion comes faster.
Alka-Seltzer is a drug that is used for heartburn and indigestion relief,
along with many other things. When Alka-Seltzer was first introduced, it
was advertised in comics in the newspaper in 1931. In 2006, the brang
celebrated its 75th anniversary.
Alka-Seltzer itself is made up of three main ingredients; aspirin, citric
acid, and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). When sodium bicarbonate
(baking soda) dissolves in water, it splits up and leaves sodium and
bicarbonate. The bicarbonate reacts with hydrogen from the citric acid to
form carbon dioxide and water. This is what you see when you drop a tablet
into a glass of water; it dissolving and CO2 bubbles rising to the surface.
My experiment is based off a different experiment. When you drop a
fourth of a tablet of Akla-Seltzer in water, if dissolves. If you drop in into a
small container filled with water, quickly put the lid on the container, shake
it up and then put the container bottom side up, and run away quickly,
eventually the container will fly off because of the built up CO2. I wondered
if the water temperature affected the reaction time from when you set the
container on the ground and when it explodes.
My hypothesis is the water temperature will affect the reaction time of
an Alka-Seltzer explosion. This is because the hotter the water, the faster the
CO2 will build up and then it will create the explosion quicker.
Independent Variable: Water Temperature
Dependant Variable: Reaction Time
Control: None
Constant: Amount of water (7 teaspoons) amount of Alka-Seltzer (1/4th
tablet), container used.
Materials:
1 Box of Alka-Seltzer
Water
Stove or flame
1 Cooking/Boiling pot
Small container with cap (must hold at least 1 cup of liquid)
Measuring cup/ teaspoon
Save area to set container (large area outside or a bathtub inside
1 Knife
1 Timer
1 Thermometer
Procedure:
1.) Cut Alka-Seltzer tablets into fourths
2.) Heat or cool water to 50 degrees Fahrenheit
3.) Once water is at right temperature, measure 7 teaspoons into small
container
4.) Drop fourth tablet into water and quickly close the lid
5.) Shake container for three seconds
6.) Place the container, bottom side up, into safe area, and start stop
watch
7.) Wait to either see the container fly or listen for the pop that indicates
the explosion has happened, immediately stop the stop watch
8.) Record time and repeat steps 2-7 two more times
9.) Heat or cool water to 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit and
repeat steps 3-7 for each temperature and three trials
Data Table:
The time is measured in seconds, temperature is measured in Fahrenheit
Temp. Trail One
Trail Two
Trail Three
Average
_____________________________________________________________
50°F-
31.4
30.2
34.9
32.16
60°F-
16.9
22.3
13.4
17.5
70°F-
11.9
12.3
14.3
12.8
80°F-
7.0
10.5
9.3
8.9
90°F-
9.5
4.4
5.3
6.4
100°F- 6.2
5.2
7.3
6.28
40
35
30
Time
25
Trial ONE
Trial TWO
20
Trial THREE
Average
15
10
5
0
50
60
70
80
Temperature
90
100
The reaction times did differ when the temperature was warmer when
it was averaged. The warmer the water was, the faster it exploded when I set
down the container. It was also observed that the tablet did not fully dissolve
by the time the container exploded. There were bits of fizzing tablets left in
the bathtub.
My hypothesis was correct. The water temperature did affect the
reaction time of the explosion. Next time I could probably test the size of the
tablets to see if it has to do with how much has dissolved or the CO2 buildup.
Works Cited
“Fun-Science-Project-Idea’s. Akla-Seltzer Science.” 2008-2009
http://www.fun-science-project-ideas.com/Alka-Seltzer.html
“How Stuff Works: Why Does Alka-Seltzer Fizz?” 1998-2010
http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/question116.htm
“Alka-Seltzer Original.” 1998-2009
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100004759.html
“Alka-Seltzer- Heartburn and Indigestion Relief.” Chew On This: Worlds
Largest Buffet Record Attempt Celebrates Akla-Seltzer’s 75th
Birthday. 2005 http://www.alka-seltzer.com/75/index.html