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Chemistry Project

This document describes an experiment where students build rockets out of film canisters that are propelled into the air using a chemical reaction between Alka-Seltzer tablets and water. The experiment aims to show how changing the surface area of the reactant (by crushing the tablet vs using it whole) impacts the reaction rate and speed of the rocket launch. When the crushed tablet is used, its greater surface area allows the gas-producing reaction to occur faster, building pressure inside the canister more quickly and launching the rocket faster. This demonstrates the importance of surface area to volume ratio in chemical reactions.

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Syed Mohammad Kaif
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757 views

Chemistry Project

This document describes an experiment where students build rockets out of film canisters that are propelled into the air using a chemical reaction between Alka-Seltzer tablets and water. The experiment aims to show how changing the surface area of the reactant (by crushing the tablet vs using it whole) impacts the reaction rate and speed of the rocket launch. When the crushed tablet is used, its greater surface area allows the gas-producing reaction to occur faster, building pressure inside the canister more quickly and launching the rocket faster. This demonstrates the importance of surface area to volume ratio in chemical reactions.

Uploaded by

Syed Mohammad Kaif
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 14

KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA

RAEBARELI
(1ST SHIFT)
2019-20
CHEMISTRY PROJECT
By, AFFAN
Class:-XII-B
Acknowledgement
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my
computer teacher Mrs.Kiran Arora for his vital
support,guidance and encouragement without this
project would not have come forth.I would like to
express my gratitude to the staff of the department
of Chemistry at Kendriya Vidyalaya Raebareli for
their support during the making of this project .

Affan
Class 12th B
Certificate
This is to certified that Affan of class 12th has
successfully completed his research on the project
entitled “Alka-Seltzer rocket race” Under the
guidance of Mrs.Kiran Arora during the year 2019-
2020 for the fulfilment of practical examination
conducted by CBSE Board.

Project Coordinator

(Department of Chemistry)
ALKA-
SELTZER
ROCKET
RACE…
Abstract

The smaller a particle is, the greater its surface area


to volume ratio. This ratio describes how much area
of the particle is in contact with the outside
compared to how much “stuff” is within the particle.
This activity explores how changing particle size
affects the rate of a chemical reaction. Using water
and effervescent sodium bi-carbonate tablets, you
will build film canister rockets that propel
themselves! This activity is linked to the
Antibacterial Silver demonstration that you may
have seen at the Small Wonders cart at a science
museum.

Goals
• Explore the how changing the physical
characteristics of a material changes how it interacts
with other materials.
• Learn how the surface-area-to-volume ratio
changes with particle size.
Materials

• Alka-seltzer tablets

• 2 Disposable plates

• Tape (packaging tapeworks best)

• A stop-watch (optional)

• Eye protection

• 2 Film canisters (Fuji film works well)

• 2 Cardboard tubes from bathroom tissue rolls

• Measuring tape (optional)


Activity

• The first step is to build your rocket launchers


using the cardboard tubes and disposable plates.

• Center each cardboard tube on a plate and secure


it using the packing tape. If you like, you can
decorate your rocket launchers.

• The next step is to prepare the Alka-seltzer tablets


to be used as fuel in your rocket.
• Have your parent help you cut or snap the tablet
into four equal pieces; you will only need two of
these pieces for the activity.

• Measure equal amounts of water into each empty


film canister so that it is about ½ way filled. It’s
important to keep the amount of water equal in each
film canister so that your results are not affected.

• Between you and your friend, decide who will


crumble up their rocket fuel into smaller pieces and
who will use the piece of tablet as it is. DO NOT ADD
THE ALKA-SELTZER TABLETS TO THE CANISTERS
YET! That will be a later step.
• Clear your area for the rocket launch. This means
that you need to be wearing your eye protection,
that you are not shooting the rockets at or near any
other person, and that you have all your supplies
ready: your cardboard launcher, your Alka-seltzer
fuel, your film canister ½ filled with water, and the
cap to the canister.

• Now you are ready to launch your rockets! Try to


guess which rocket will launch faster: the person
with one big piece of fuel, or the person with the
same amount of fuel, but crumpled into smaller
pieces?

• The last few steps are the most complicated


because they must be done very quickly; read
through the rest of the instructions BEFORE you
start this step. You and your friend need to put your
Alka-seltzer tablets into the film canisters at the
same time.

• Quickly cap the film canisters and insert them into


the launchers cap-side down.
• Aim the two launchers away from yourselves and
away from anyone else and wait for your rockets to
launch! Be patient! This step takes up to 1 minute.

• DO NOT LOOK DOWN THE LAUNCHER TO CHECK


ON YOUR ROCKET!!! If after several minutes your
rocket doesn’t detonate, tilt the launcher away from
your face and slide the film canister out onto the
floor. Hold the canister in your hands with the cap
facing away from your face and pop it off with your
thumbs. Then, try the activity again using 1/3 of an
Alka-seltzer tablet.

• Whose rocket launched first?


What’s Going on?

When the Alka-seltzer is added to the water, the


tablet dissolves into the water and in the process
produces a gas called carbon dioxide. When you cap
the film canister with the Alka-seltzer and water
inside, the gas that is produced becomes trapped. As
more and more gas is produced and is trapped,
pressure within the film canister begins to build.
Eventually, the pressure is so great that the force of
the gas pops open the film canister. There is so much
force that when the cap pops off, the film canister is
shot up into the air! The rocket that used the
crumpled Alka-seltzer as fuel should have launched
first. Although both rockets used the same amount of
water and Alka-seltzer, the fuel in this rocket had a
greater surface-area-to-volume ratio. Since the gas-
producing reaction can only occur on the surface of
the tablet, this increased ratio means that more gas
was produced more quickly and so the pressure
increased faster than in the large-piece rocket.
Extensions

• Try changing the amount or temperature of the


water that you use; does it make a difference in how
fast the rocket will launch? What about the distance
the rocket travels?

• What if you vary the angle when you shoot the


rocket? What’s the best position to hold the launcher
so that the rocket travels the farthest distance

Conclusions/Discussion

In this activity, you explored how changing the


particle size of a reactant affected how it behaved in
a reaction. Although you used the same amount of
Alka-seltzer, by changing its physical form you
affected its rate of reaction with water. This caused
pressure within the film canister to build more
quickly and the rocket to launch faster. In products
like the antibacterial silver food storage containers
that you saw at the museum, changing the particle
size of the imbedded silver affects its ability to react.
Nanosilver particles are so tiny that their surface
area to volume ratio is very high, making them
extremely effective at preventing bacteria growth.
The importance of a high surface-area-tovolume
ratio is not just important for nano-silver; it is a
fundamental principal of nanoscience and biological
cells!

References:

1. Alka-Seltzer. (2009). Student Science


Experiments., from
http://www.alkaseltzer.com/as/student_experimen
t.html Institute of Physics. (2009).

2. Alka-seltzer Rocket., from


http://www.physics.org/interact/physics-to-
go/alka-seltzer-rocket/index.html
3. Math is Fun! (2000). Math Definitions., retrieved
May 10, 2009, from
http://www.mathsisfun.com/definitions/index.html

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