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Fizz-Pop Canister Rockets

Ages 7–12⏱ 40 minMess: HIGHGrown-up help: MediumKitchen ScienceSpace & Flight
Professor O holds up a finished canister rocket with a welcoming, excited expression.

Professor O will help you learn: Builds paper rockets around small snap-lid canisters that blast upwards when fizzing tablets make gas inside. Children learn that the reaction releases carbon dioxide, pressure builds until the lid pops off, and the rocket shoots the other way, showing Newton's third law. It is a fire-free way to enjoy the excitement of a rocket launch.

⚠️ Launch outdoors only, on a hard surface, and wear safety glasses or sunglasses. Never lean over a rocket after it is loaded; step back at least two metres straight away. If it doesn't launch within 30 seconds, wait a full minute before an adult approaches it. The canister needs a lid that fits inside the rim and snaps on; screw lids can build too much pressure and must not be used. Effervescent tablets are not sweets, so an adult should keep and hand out the tablets.

Steps

  1. Decorate a sheet of paper with bright firework stripes and stars.
  2. Wrap the paper around the canister, with the lid end sticking out at the bottom, and tape it into a tube.

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