How to Make a Film Canister Rocket

From the beginning of time--or at least since the beginning of science fairs--kids have played around with the carbon dioxide reaction made by mixing baking soda and vinegar together. While it's plenty of fun to see the two fizz, foam and bubble when they're mixed together, with the addition of a film canister and a little open space, the reaction can be harnessed to make a harmless rocket.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Empty film canister
• Construction paper
• Tape
• Scissors
• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Tissue paper
• Antacid tablets
• Soda (optional)

Make a Baking Soda and Vinegar Rocket

1. Find a film cannister with a "male" lid. These are the cannisters on which the top of the lid is smooth and it attaches to the canister via a groove in between an outer and inner ring of plastic.
2. Make your film canister look like a rocket. Roll a piece of construction paper into a long tube and tape it around the canister, making sure the cover is at the bottom of the tube and can be easily accessed. Tape it in place. You can also accessorize by adding paper wings to the sides of the tube and a cone at the top.
3. Open the film canister and pour approximately 1 tbsp. of vinegar inside.
4. Place approximately 1 tsp. of baking soda on a small piece of tissue paper and be prepared to act quickly.
5. Drop the tissue paper in the film canister, slam the lid on and place the canister lid-side down on the ground.
6. Stand back and watch the rocket pop its lid. The canister should fly up into the air.
7. Experiment with the amount of vinegar and baking soda to get your rocket flying higher. Try leaving the tissue paper out of the equation. It isn't necessary, but it helps to delay the reaction and give you enough time to put the lid back on the film canister.

Make an Antacid Rocket

8. Create and decorate your rocket.
9. Take the lid off the film canister and drop in an antacid tablet.
10. Add approximately 1 tsp. of water to the container.
11. Place the lid on quickly and securely and put the canister on the ground. Again, make sure the lid is on the ground.
12. Step back and observe. As the water dissolves the antacid, carbon dioxide gas is released and the pressure inside the canister builds. When it's too great, the cap will pop off and the canister will shoot into the sky.

Tips & Warnings

• With the advent of digital cameras, it's sometimes hard to find film canisters. Check with a local photo lab.
• If the rocket doesn't launch, the cap may not be on tightly enough.
• Alka-Seltzer tablets seem to work better than their generic alternatives.
• You can vary how high the rocket will go by adding an extra antacid tablet and a little more water.
• For some added pizazz, you can try adding soda to the antacid tablet instead of water.