Vinegar and Baking Soda Rocket

A rocket that uses the carbon dioxide principles of vinegar and baking soda.

Using a few simple materials that you may already have around the house, you can design and launch your own rocket. 1-2-3 Let's Go!

Sections

• Make the rocket body
• Create the nosecone
• Decorate
• Put baking soda on lid
• Fill the canister
• Close lid and step away
• Watch it go

Tools

• Scissors

Relevant Parts

• Film Canister
• 8-1/2x11 in. piece of construction paper
• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Paint or markers (optional)
• Bottle cap
• Tape

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Edit Step 1 — Make the rocket body

• Take the top off of a plastic film canister and wrap a sheet of construction paper around it. Tape it in place so that the open end of the canister sticks out at the bottom.
  
  
  

  Step 2 — Create the nosecone

• Create a nose cone for the rocket by cutting a circle out of construction paper, using scissors to make a cut to the center, and bending it into a cone shape that you can tape to the end of the tube opposite the film canister so it looks like the second picture.
  
  
  
  

 

Step 3 — Decorate

• Decorate your rocket creatively with paint or markers. If you have extra pieces of construction paper, you can cut them into the shape of fins to attach to the bottom of the rocket.
  
• (I'm not the best artist, but this step isn't required.)
  
  
  
  

Step 4 — Put baking soda on lid

• Put some baking soda on the inside of the film canister lid and smooth it out. In my case, I just had to add 1 teaspoon.
  
  
  
  

 Edit Step 5 — Fill the canister

• Hold your rocket upside down and fill the film canister about halfway or so with vinegar. If you want it to go faster, add more. But beware, don't make the same mistake it did when I added too much vinegar. (It exploded in my hands, ouch!)
  

  Step 6 — Close lid and step away

• Put the lid with the baking soda on the canister, quickly set the rocket down, and step away. You need to do this very quick.
  

  Step 7 — Watch it go

• The baking soda and vinegar will react to form carbon dioxide (a gas that has one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms), and the pressure created by the gas will force the lid off the container, launching your rocket into the air and crashing down.
  
• Please, launch the rocket outdoors to prevent it from hitting someone or his/her property.This thing can shoot pretty high, so be very carefull! Happy making!