Eye Dropper Rockets
Summary
This is a introductory chemistry lab I complete with my 9th grade Physical Science students. Students will need to balance and identify the types of reactions that are occurring before they enter the lab. Students will be making their own eye dropper rockets to shoot across the lab room with the furthest distance for the class receiving a prize.
CollapseLearning Goals
This activity is designed to have students examine and identify chemical equations and tie that knowledge into to a practical and fun lab experience. Students will also need to accurately measure their rockets in the metric system.
Vocabulary words: Single replacement reaction, catalyst and synthesis reaction.
Vocabulary words: Single replacement reaction, catalyst and synthesis reaction.
Context for Use
This entire activity will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. This will need to be done in a lab with students wearing safety goggles. Students will need to have prior knowledge of capturing a gaseous substance and working with a Tesla coil. (I am monitoring the Tesla coil the entire lab and making sure students are properly using the equipment.) This is a great introductory activity for identifying and balancing chemical reactions.
Description and Teaching Materials
Material used to make one set-up: (I usually have one set up at each of my lab tables)
-tops of eye droppers
-Tesla coil
-nail at a 45 degree angle through a wooden board
- 5 pieces of zinc metal added to 40 ml 1 molar HCl in an Erlenmeyer flask and put the rubber stopper in the flask.
- In another Erlenmeyer flask with a rubber stopper put 40 ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide combined with 1 match head of manganese dioxide
-Fill the eyedropper head with the appropriate amount of hydrogen and oxygen.
-Place on nail and ignite with the Tesla coil.
-Calculate distance traveled and record.
Introduce lesson with worksheet provided. At the end of the lesson have students list two things they have learned from this activity and have a class discussion about their findings. How did students get their rockets to go the farthest? ratios of products? Lab Handout (Microsoft Word 33kB Oct3 08)
-tops of eye droppers
-Tesla coil
-nail at a 45 degree angle through a wooden board
- 5 pieces of zinc metal added to 40 ml 1 molar HCl in an Erlenmeyer flask and put the rubber stopper in the flask.
- In another Erlenmeyer flask with a rubber stopper put 40 ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide combined with 1 match head of manganese dioxide
-Fill the eyedropper head with the appropriate amount of hydrogen and oxygen.
-Place on nail and ignite with the Tesla coil.
-Calculate distance traveled and record.
Introduce lesson with worksheet provided. At the end of the lesson have students list two things they have learned from this activity and have a class discussion about their findings. How did students get their rockets to go the farthest? ratios of products? Lab Handout (Microsoft Word 33kB Oct3 08)
Teaching Notes and Tips
To get the eye dropper rocket, cut off the top of the plastic droppers used to transfer liquids. These are really inexpensive, just make sure they fit over your nail for ignition.
Tip: After students have collected the gas in the eye dropper rocket, make sure they transport their eye dropper perpendicular to the floor so the gas does not escape!
Tip: After students have collected the gas in the eye dropper rocket, make sure they transport their eye dropper perpendicular to the floor so the gas does not escape!
Assessment
Students will turn in complete lab handout with their furthest distance filled in at the bottom.
Standards
9.III.B 1,2,3