Help me give my students a lab to construct a rocket using a canister with a snap on lid and set it off with an effervescing antacid tablet.
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Hidalgo's classroom raised $446
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Project
In this activity, students build a rocket using a canister with a snap-on lid and launch it with an effervescent antacid tablet. Alka-Seltzer is made up of citric acid and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). When the tablet is added to water, the acid reacts with the baking soda, creating carbon dioxide gas.
The gas builds up pressure against the lid of the canister until it pops off.
As the gas forces its way out, it pushes the rocket upward, demonstrating Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion (for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction).
This thrust mechanism is similar to how real rockets operate, both in space and in the Earth's atmosphere, though actual rockets use rocket fuel.
Students will calculate the distance and time traveled by their rocket. We will use a stopwatch to calculate time and we will use a wall with different markings to calculate the distance. Students will have the opportunity to calculate the speed of their rockets (speed=distance/time).
At the end of the experiment students can come up with different ideas on how to improve their rockets and discuss what worked and what did not.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
Frey Scientific Stopwatch, 100 min, 1/100th sec, GA-13 Battery, Pack of 12 - Elementary-Middle School - Kids
• School Specialty
$49.57
3
$148.71
Alka-Seltzer Tablets Pack of 24
• Carolina Biological Supply Company
$12.02
5
$60.10
Prang 9" x 12" Construction Paper, Assorted Colors, 500 Sheets/Pack (P6555-0001)
• Quill.com
$29.59
2
$59.18
35mm Film Canisters with Caps (35 Pack) Plastic White Empty Film Canister Case Bulk with Lids Storage Reel Containers for Storing Film, Small Accessories, Beads
• Amazon Business
$9.99
3
$29.97
Materials cost
$297.96
Vendor shipping charges
$22.68
Sales tax
$23.24
3rd party payment processing fee
$4.47
Fulfillment labor & materials
$30.00
Total project cost
$378.35
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$66.77
Total project goal
$445.12
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal
$445.12
2 Donors
-$296.75
Donations toward project cost
-$252.24
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
-$44.51
match offer
-$148.36
Match offer toward project cost
-$126.11
Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Hidalgo and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
