Aqua-Thrusters!
Students construct small-sized model rocket-powered boats—"aqua-thrusters"—that are made from film canisters propelled by carbon dioxide gas produced from a chemical reaction between antacid tablets and water. They make predictions and experiment to observe the effect that surface area of this simulated solid rocket fuel has on the resulting rocket thrust. A worksheet is provided to guide the experiment.
Students test fuel variations in their own mini-powerboats.Copyright 2007 liknes, Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jotun_powerboat.jpg
Engineers design powerful propellants to launch rockets into space. To design propellants with enough thrust, they must understand the chemical properties of various propellants. Factors such as propellant weight are also considered for space and air flight.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Explain that thrust can be created by a chemical reaction and what affects it.
- Compare the motion of a model rocket-boat to a rocket designed to travel in space.
- Describe some of the factors that engineers consider when choosing propellants for rocket design.