 your results
Sent in by:
Cherrell of SC
Three, two, one, blast-off! (Fannee Doolee says, "When you're done here, check out the Kitchen Chemistry online game for more scientific kitchen kOOkineSS!")
- An empty, 16 ounce, plastic soda or water bottle
- A cork that tightly fits the soda bottle. If you can't find a cork that fits, you might want to wrap it in tape.
- paper towels
- toilet paper
- lemon juice
- baking soda
- water
- other acids, like cola, or vinegar
- scissors
- funnel
- safety glasses
- Check with a grown-up before you begin.
- You will want to do this outside.
- First, tear the paper towels into strips and attach them to the cork with tape. This makes the cork look more like a rocket.
- Then, cut a small square out of toilet paper, put about a teaspoon of baking soda in the middle of the square, and fold in the sides to make a little packet.
- Put the funnel into the opening of the bottle.
- Pour a half inch of lemon juice into the bottle, and then add water until it is a little less than half-way full.
- Put on your safety glasses. Drop the baking soda packet into the soda bottle, close the bottle with the cork, shake the bottle, and stand back for lift off.
- Here's the reason the cork shoots up. Cherrell says that as the water and lemon juice soak through the toilet paper, the baking soda reacts to produce carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a gas. As more gas forms, pressure builds up inside the bottle and sends the cork flying.
Lemon juice is an acid, and baking soda is a base. When they are mixed together they produce carbon dioxide. Try launching your rocket by mixing other acids with the baking soda. Make a prediction, and then test it out. Be sure to send us your discoveries so that we can share them with the world!
Christopher, age 13 of Chicago, IL wrote:
Well I did this experiment for my sience project but I added some stuff like 7up, Diet Coke, poprocks, and mentos and it flew pretty far it was cool
Abiblicar, age 14 of Winnipeg, MB wrote:
it was so fun. my rocket went at least 3 stories high
Grant, age 13 of Overland Park, KS wrote:
When I did the experiment, I used vinegar and lemon juice. I seemed that they both went the same heighth, but it did hit my roof on my house which is 40 feet high!
Julius, age 10 of Farmerville, LA wrote:
The Cork poped up and the lemon juice bubled in the bottle.
Jessica, age 12 of Mandeville, LA wrote:
i had to do a science fair project so I did which acid goes farthest when baking soda reacts with it so I used orange juice, vinegar, diet coke and lemon juice. the lemon juice went farthest but im trying to figure out the why part. Why?
Jared, age 10 of Marksville, LA wrote:
I did it and it didn't launch. So I put vinegar in it, shook it, and it launched about 10 feet! I kept on launching it and it was fun!
Quiyawna, age 12 of Macon, GA wrote:
When I did this expreiment it was awsome. It went all over the place.
Celena, age 10 of Birmingham wrote:
I'm doing this for my science experiment because I think it's cool I wil give you result after my project.
Claudia, age 12 wrote:
I am going to try using citric acid mixed in with the lemon juice. I hope it still works... I'll write back when I have tried it: )
Patrick, age 8 of Cincinnati, OH wrote:
it went about 50 feet high
Ieren, age 8 of MI wrote:
I put 3cups of suger 2cups of water 5 lemons.
Harmeet, age 6 of Kwun Tong wrote:
we are going to try this in my science class with vinegar lemon juice and coke and were pretty sure that the one with the most acid tnat qwould be the lemon is the on e that will travel the farthesst.
Alec, age 9 of Northville, MI wrote:
I tried 2 times and it didn't work. Then I tried a heaping teaspoon of baking soda and it went 58 feet. WOW!
Taina, age 9 of Bridgeport, CT wrote:
When I put the baking soda in it, it started get bubbly. All I can see was all of it rising up like it was going to erupt like a volacano. Me and my partner just ducked! It almost when about 18 ft tall!
Kristen, age 11 of Boynton Beach, FL wrote:
I used vinegar instead. But the vinegar and baking soda did not work the first 2 times I did it but it worked the third time. The first 2 times the baking soda was not strong enough.
Lauren, age 11 of TX wrote:
it worked sooo good!!! (THIS IS FUNNY) we wanted the cork to fall into my partners mouth but it didnt it hit me in the eye thank goodness I wore googles which was my original plan!
Jeanette, age 12 of Burbank, IL wrote:
the cork flew high in the air it stayed up for about 5 sec. I made sure the cork wasn't pointing at anyone. my expierment worked exactly as planned. u should try it!
Janna, age 15 of Askov, MN wrote:
I am going to teach a science class during a community ed summer program and I was really excited when I found this! I works great- the only thing you have to remember is to not KEEP shaking! mine blew up when it was still in my hand so it shot sideways! I recomend shaking it only 3-4 times. Highly recommended!!!
Sam & Dutch of Skaneateles, NY wrote:
The last one we did it blasted Sam in the eyes because he forgot his safety goggles! Dutch got sprayed (but not in the eyes). And we smelled really bad after. It went like 5 ft. because the cork hit Sam's head.
Tamania, age 13 of Seattle, WA wrote:
The thing shot up so high, that it didn't land where it was supposed... it landed in my neighbor's garden scaring her cat!
Amber, age 12 of Ogden, KS wrote:
the rocket flew up the cork poped off and hit my partner in the eye.
Kiara, age 13 of Mobile, AL wrote:
the lemon juice did not launch anywere because it was not strong anouth at all.
Dasia, age 11 of Mobile, AZ wrote:
I first tried it at home and it sort of worked. Then I decided to try it with my classmates it didn't work. We did something wrong but we couldn't figure it out. We had loads of fun doing it too so did my teacher.
Ali, age 15 of Laurel, MD wrote:
It shot up like 1000 feet... it was so cool!!! THE BEST!!!
Brittani, age 13 of Los Angeles, CA wrote:
mines flew into the sky but didn't come down until I looked down getting ready to clean my mess when it hit me in the head!!!
Jr, age 9 of Oklahoma City, OK wrote:
it went 100ft tall.
Eman, age 10 of North Lauderdale, FL wrote:
It shot up in to ackshon like 50feet:)
Aisha, age 11 of Poplar Bluff, MO wrote:
my bottle went about 50 feet up in the air and it was very cool thanks, ZOOM!!
Rachel, age 14 of Kent, WA wrote:
The bottle went all the way over to my neighbors yard!!! It almost hit a car!!
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