How to Make a Baking Soda and Vinegar Rocket

Making Rockets

How to make a baking soda and vinegar rocket

You will need:

• 35mm film canister with lid

• Stickers (optional)

• Card stock

• Scissors

• Ruler

• Sandpaper

• Glue gun

• Baking soda

• Vinegar (white or apple cider)

• Small wood board

1. Sand the outside of your film canister. By roughing up the plastic, you are giving the glue something to grip when you add your wings.

2. Place stickers on the outside of the canister to decorate the rocket, if desired. Measure the card stock and cut three triangles that are slightly shorter than the height of the canister and extend out about 3/4 inch.

4. Glue the triangles to the sides of the canister so that the wide end of the triangles is close to the bottom of the rocket (the open end of your canister). Allow time for the glue to dry before moving to the next step.

5. Pour enough vinegar in the canister to fill it about 1/3 of the way. Carefully add a small handful of baking soda, quickly replace the cap, then place the rocket on the board.

6. Stand back and watch your rocket launch.

Tips and warnings

• Always supervise children when building and launching rockets.

• Make sure you launch your rocket in a wide open area away from windows and other breakable items.

• Stand at a safe distance away from the rocket to avoid injury.

How to make a water rocket out of a 2-liter bottle

You will need:

• 2-liter plastic soda bottle

• Low-temperature glue gun

• Poster board

• Tape

• Modeling clay

• Scissors

• Duct tape

• Straw

• Bicycle tire pump

• Needle for pumping up balls

• Drill with a drill bit the same size as your pump needle

• Rubber stopper

• 1/4 inch diameter metal rod

• Water

1. Cut a strip of poster board to fit around the middle of the 2-liter plastic soda bottle. Use glue to secure it to the bottle.

2. Roll another strip of poster board up so it forms a cone and secure it with glue. Cut the bottom of the nose cone in a straight line. Make a ball of modeling clay that’s 2 to 4 ounces in weight and press it into the inside tip of the nose cone. Attach the nose cone to the bottom of the 2-liter soda bottle. This will stabilize the rocket.

3. Cut out four fins in any shape you like. Glue them to the sides of the rocket near the top of the bottle pointed up. Duct tape the straw to the side of the bottle close to the top.

4. Drill a hole through the runner stopper big enough to fit the pump needle snugly. Use water to fill the bottle 1/4 to 3/4 of the way. Experiment with different volumes to see what works best for your rocket.

5. Place the rubber stopper with the needle in it into the bottle neck. Push the metal rod into the ground in the area where the rocket will be launched. Thread the metal rod through the straw until the bottle top and fins are resting on the ground.

6. Attach the bicycle pump to the needle and begin pumping. When the pressure is too great inside the bottle, the water will force its way out and the rocket will take off.

Tips and warnings

• You can decorate your rocket with crayons, paint or stickers.

• Using a high-temperature glue gun will melt the plastic bottle.

• The person who is launching the rocket will almost certainly get wet.

• Supervise the launch and make sure that all the children stand back when the rocket is launched.

• Supervise younger children when using the glue gun and during the launch.