Rocket Science: Rocket Poppers

Rocket poppers are easy to make and a lot of fun. Even grownups like to play with them. They can be used indoors if you have a room with a high ceiling and you don't mind a messy floor, but outdoors is the preferred environment.

Materials

• A collection of plastic 35mm film cannisters. The clear plastic Fuji film cannisters seem to work best, but try a couple of styles. Local photoprocessing places will usually donate a couple of dozen for a good cause.
• As many of the cheapest generic Alka-Seltzer-type tablets that you can find.
• Portable water supplies: buckets, pitchers, drinking bottles, etc.
• The safety-conscious may want safety goggles.
• If indoors, mops or a wet vac to clean up.

Procedure

Once you demonstrate how it works, everyone will one to try it for themselves.

Begin by opening up a seltzer packet so that the tablet is at hand. Next, open the film cannister, and pour a small amount of water into the cannister. Drop the seltzer tablet into the cannister, snap the lid in place, and put the cannister lid down on the ground. Step back. After a few seconds, the cannister will leap into the air with a pop!

Notes and Precautions

• Seltzer tablets can be re-used two or three times if you are quick. The longer they are in water, the shorter their lifetime.
• Re-used seltzer tablets will take longer to pop than new ones. Remind people that if they stand over the popper staring at it, they could get a surprise when it finally pops. If they have a dud, they should pick up the cannister from the side, not from above.
• The residue from the tablets will make it hard to seal the lid on the cannister after several uses. Rinse the cannister periodically for best results.

Next: some things to think about!

This activity has been copied, with permission, from Alaska's Poker Flat Research Range server to ours, to allow faster access from our web site.
We encourage you to explore the original site.

Return to Reach Out! Home Page
To Reach Out! volunteer organization at the University of Michigan