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The
Cha-Thai
Report
Chananan Sanamchai 5861014
Nitinan Yotsakulsate 5861311
Siriwan Faimongkhon 5761136
Lalida Suriyanonrin 5861309
Panisa Rawdloy 5861090
General Chemistry
Mahidol University International Demonstration School
Lab Instructor - P’Fai, P’Win, P’Rick
Semester 2, 2017
Lecture Instructor - Ms. Sorasaree Tonsiengsom
Abstract
In this experiment, we made a rocket from water bottles and many other materials and we made
a launcher from pvc pipes. For the nose of the rocket, we made it in a parabola shape because it is the
best way to make a nose of a rocket, then we use a board to make fins for the rocket. Our goal in this
experiment is to make the rocket hit the target which is 20 meters away using vinegar and baking soda.
We have to do so many trial to calculate the amount of vinegar and baking soda that we need and we
need to use a certain angle for the launcher. To start our experiment, we pour vinegar into our rocket
and then we put baking soda on a tissue and fold it and put it inside the rocket. Once we put our baking
soda in, we use a cork to block the chemical from leaking out of the rocket. After that, we put it on the
launcher, set the degree, and wait for the chemical reaction to react. For our experiment, it turn out that
the best amount of chemical is 200 ml of vinegar and 15.53g of baking soda along with an angle of 40
degrees for the launcher.
Introduction-overview
In this experiment, we made a water bottle rocket that is launch by using the chemical reaction
between vinegar and baking soda. Vinegar and baking soda react to each other because of an
acid-base reaction. Baking soda is a bicarbonate (NaHCO3) and vinegar is an acetic acid (HCH3COO).
One of the products this reaction creates is carbon dioxide. When we launch a rocket, there’s a lot of
bubbling and foaming and the bubbles and foam you see filled with carbon dioxide gas (CO2) that’s
being released by an acid-base reaction. Initially, the reaction makes carbonic acid which is unstable. It
quickly breaks down into CO2 and water. The gas then rapidly leaves the water creating foam and
bubbles along the way. When we use a cork to close the bottle, it prevent the CO2 from immediately
escaping the bottle. This causes a rapid increase of pressure inside the bottle. The pressure will
eventually gets to the point that the cork can no longer contain the gases and then it will come out and
the rocket will be launch. For addition, when the content inside the rocket shoot downward, the rocket
itself shoot upward. This demonstrate Newton’s third law of motion which state that for every action,
there is an equal but opposite reaction. The reaction is the air pushing back with the same amount of
force going the other way.
Objective
This experiment is the integration of Physics and Chemistry lessons. Chemistry come along in
the chemical reaction part, which happens between vinegar and baking soda. Baking soda is base and
vinegar is acid. They will act as the rocket’s fuel further on. The amount of chemical uses will base on
the balance calculation of our reactants, the number which will then make the rocket land in the right
place. This experiment is to find the best design for the rocket containing smallest balance amount of
chemicals that will bring the rocket into hitting the target 20 meters away using the information from
chemical calculation.
Materials
1. Rocket 2. Launcher 3. Rubber stopper
4. Scale 5. Graduated cylinder 6. Measuring spoon
7. Stapler 8. Tissue paper (thin)
Chemical Materials
1. 200 ml. Vinegar CH3COOH 2. 15.5 g. Baking soda NaHCO3
Methods
Data Table
Unofficial experiment
No of Vinegar Baking Note (Conditions) Result Evaluation
trials (ml.) Soda (g.)
1 350 ml. 24 g. - 35 ° launcher - Explode too quickly - Reduce the size of
- No wind - Baking soda mix wrapped baking soda
with vinegar bag
- Lose the lid
2 350 ml. 24 g. - 35 ° launcher - Release but does - Store the reaction
- No wind not go gas before release
- Long shape of - 0 meter
baking soda bag - Some chemicals
stick to the lid were left unused
3 350 ml. 24 g. - 35 ° launcher - Explode - There might be
- No wind - Leak problem with the lid
- Long shape of because it’s leak
baking soda bag - Try more chemical
stick to the lid
- Hold the bottle
before release
4 400 ml. 24 g. - Set the rocket - 6 meters - Try different ratio of
vertically - It launches. chemicals
- Leak - Make the lid more
waterproof
5 250 ml. 10.5 g. - Change the lid - Does not launch - 2 pieces of tissue is
- Wrap baking soda - No reaction too thick
with 2 pieces of - Leak
tissue
6 280 ml. 7 g. - 25 ° launcher - 19.5 meters - The glue can’t be
- 1 piece of tissue used for next time.
- Glue the lid to Need alternative to
make it waterproof make the lid
waterproof.
- The problem is
leaking
- Use one layer of
tissue to wrap baking
soda is a key, so the
reaction happen all at
the same time.
Refer to the best result from the table above, the chemicals are overused in the
beginning. Cork and number of tissue layer are very significant to the result. With leak cork, the
rocket didn’t go. More than 1 layer of tissue, the rocket explode too quickly and have a lot of
leftover baking soda.
We can analyse that using tight cork will store the reaction before releasing the rocket,
and using one thin layer of tissue make the chemical reaction happen all at the same time
because there’s no leftover baking soda.
Official Experiment
Accuracy Mass of Baking soda Vinegar Angle of Distance
object volume propulsion covered