This fun and engaging experiment will enthuse even the most reluctant learners.

Encourage your class to predict, measure and record all during this simple to set up experiment. Why not try changing how much water you put into the pot to see if this changes the time it takes for the gas to build up in the bottle and explode!

Step 1

Place a Vitamin C tablet onto a Petri dish. What do you think you will see when you add a few drops of water?

Step 2

Put some water in the canister until it is about a third full. Stick the fizzy tablet to the inside of the lid using blue tac.

Step 3

Shut the lid tightly. Before you turn it over, predict what will happen?

Step 4

Place the canister upside-down – step back with safety glasses on. Time how long the reaction will take.

The pressure of the gas has built-up and it’s too great for the lid to stay on the canister.

BLAST OFF!

Success! A rocket is launched!

Extension activities could be running competitions to seeing whose rocket goes the highest or which surface is best to launch your rockets off.

Above all else this activity is fun whilst learning hands on key scientific facts.

If you have any experiments to share, we’d love to hear them!