Have you ever wanted to send a rocket off in your own back yard?
In this segment of Up and Atom, Meteorologists Kellie McGlynn and Amanda Verrier show us a fun experiment that helps explain the science behind rocket launches.
Items needed for the experiment are safety goggles, a two-liter bottle, baking soda, vinegar, tape, paper towels, and three pencils. Cardboard and paint are optional.
When a chemical reaction occurs, pressure starts to build within the bottle. The cork is the only thing holding in all the pressure. When the cork can’t handle the pressure anymore, the physical reaction happens.
The experiment demonstrates Newton’s Third Law: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
All that built-up pressure pushes the cork downwards, which is the action. The equal and opposite reaction is the forcing of the rocket upwards.