Rocket Reactions

TYPE: Short Activities
AUDIENCE: Ages 7 - Adult
TOPIC: Chemistry
In this activity, learners experiment with finding the best mix of "rocket fuel" by making miniature baking soda and vinegar "rockets" that shoot plastic caps into the air.
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DESCRIPTION

The "Rocket Reactions" activity is an exciting way to learn about how materials interact, behave, and change. Participants make little baking soda and vinegar "rockets," launching plastic caps into the air, and experimenting to discover the best mix of fuel for their rocket.

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  • A facilitator loads a small plastic tube with fizzing solution that will pop the cap off in front of an audience of learners
  • A group of learners load a small tube with citric acid, baking soda and water for a small chemical reaction
  • Two learners wearing goggles watch their baking soda and vinegar rockets with anticipation
  • Two facilitators and a group of learners wait for their chemical reaction in a small tube to take place
  • A facilitator loads a small plastic tube with fizzing solution that will pop the cap off in front of an audience of learners
  • A group of learners load a small tube with citric acid, baking soda and water for a small chemical reaction
  • Two learners wearing goggles watch their baking soda and vinegar rockets with anticipation
  • Two facilitators and a group of learners wait for their chemical reaction in a small tube to take place

DESCRIPTION

The "Rocket Reactions" activity is an exciting way to learn about how materials interact, behave, and change. Participants make little baking soda and vinegar "rockets," launching plastic caps into the air, and experimenting to discover the best mix of fuel for their rocket.

JUMP TO BROWSE RELATED RESOURCES

TRAINING VIDEOS

OBJECTIVES

BIG IDEA

An important part of the process of chemistry is to experiment and try different things over and over.

Chemists study how different materials behave and change, and how materials interact with each other.

LEARNING GOALS

  • Learners will develop positive attitudes toward chemistry:

    • Learners will increase their feelings of interest in chemistry through observation of phenomena and experimentation.
    • Learners will increase their understanding of the relevance of chemistry by exploring connections to everyday life.
    • Learners will increase their sense of self-efficacy related to chemistry through hands-on interaction with real tools.

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TYPE:
Educational Resources
AUDIENCE:
Ages 7 - Adult
LANGUAGES:
English Spanish
ADDITIONAL TOPICS: Earth and Space Science Atmosphere Solar System Engineering and Technology Technology Physical Sciences Energy Chemistry Motion and Forces States of Matter Materials Science
KIT: Browse kit
KEYWORDS:

Credits

YEAR CREATED
2018
PROJECT
OWNING INSTITUTION

Museum of Science, Boston

FUNDING

Developed for the NISE Network with funding from the National Science Foundation under Grant Number DRL 1612482. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

PERMISSIONS

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US).
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DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

NISE Network products are developed through an iterative collaborative process that includes scientific review, peer review, and visitor evaluation in accordance with an inclusive audiences approach. Products are designed to be easily edited and adapted for different audiences under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license. To learn more, visit our Development Process page.