🚀 Film Canister Rockets
Pop the lid and launch a rocket. Draft: not yet checked
Watch how it is done
Two short videos. Tap one to play it.
Videos play from YouTube, made by other people.
Quick start
- Fill the canister ⅓ with water. A volunteer can pre-fill it.
- Drop in ½ tablet, snap the lid on fast, and flip it lid-down onto the pad.
- Step back and count down.
- Pop! Then hand the canister to the wash bin.
Ask, instead of explaining: What do you think pushes the lid off?
Learn: the idea
The tablet makes gas. The gas has nowhere to go, so it pushes harder and harder until the lid pops off. The lid pushes down and the rocket shoots up!
Prep
- Break the tablets in halves.
- Fill the water bottles or mark fill lines.
- Set up the launch pad zone.
Crew for prep: 1 person, about 0.5 hr. Prep happens on the day, from 12:15.
During the event: 2 volunteers. Setup about 15 min. One at the launch pad at all times
Tips
- Pre-break the tablets into halves.
- Pre-fill water squirt bottles, or mark a fill line on the canisters.
- Launch only from a launch pad zone (a tray or a taped square). Kids stand back after closing the lid.
- Everyone at the launch pad wears safety glasses.
- In the dark, a tea light under the clear canister makes the launch look great, as noted last year.
Safety
- Safety glasses for everyone at the pad.
- Short of glasses? Ask grace first.
- One adult at the pad at all times.
- No pop? Wait. An adult picks it up.
Turbo (only if we choose to)
- Grand finale at 6:15: a Mentos-and-soda geyser, plus a countdown with the whole crowd. Add a glow stick inside clear canisters for night launches.
Clean up
- Wipe the table and put reusable items in your tote.
- Bag the trash and wash hands.
- Log anything borrowed so it can go back.
- Wash and dry the canisters for reuse.