Alka-Seltzer
Rocket/
Chemical
Reactions
Materials Needed
 Water(hot, cold, and room temperature)
 A film canister and cover
 One Alka-Seltzer packet (can be
purchased at a pharmacy, CVS or
Walgreens)
 3 beakers
 Hot plate
 Ice
 Timer
 Thermometer
 Goggles
Procedure
1. Write your prediction of which temperature of water will cause the fastest
reaction.
2. Put goggles on!
3. Fill 3 beakers with a ¼ cup of water each.
4. Place one beaker on a hot plate and allow it to get hot.
5. Place ice in one beaker.
6. Record the temperature of each beaker of water.
7. Fill the film canister halfway with room temperature water.
8. Put half an Alka-Seltzer tablet in the can and put the cover on immediately.
9. Begin the timer once the cover is placed on the can. Record the amount of
time it takes for the cover to pop off.
10. Wash the film can out and fill it halfway with warm water.
11. Put half an Alka-Seltzer tablet in the can and put the cover on immediately.
12. Begin the timer once the cover is placed on the can. Record the amount of
time it takes for the cover to pop off.
13. Wash the film can out and fill it halfway with cold water.
14. Put half an Alka-Seltzer tablet in the can and put the cover on immediately.
15. Begin the timer once the cover is placed on the can. Record the amount of
time it takes for the cover to pop off.
16. Record any indications of a chemical reaction.
1. Predict which temperature of water you think the reaction will occur the fastest in.
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2. Fill in the table below.
Beaker
1
2
3
Temperature
Time of Reaction
3. Record the indicators of a chemical reaction that you observed during this experiment.
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4. Which temperature caused the reaction to occur the fastest? Why? Was your prediction
correct?
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5. Did any problems occur during the experiment? What sources of error are there?
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Scientific Explanation
The reaction occurs the fastest in hot water because the molecules were the
most active at this temperature. The molecules had more energy and were
bumping into each other, causing the bonds of the molecules to interact. When
the molecules interacted, the Alka-Seltzer began to fizz, displaying an indication
that a chemical reaction was occurring. The cap popped off of the canister
when the reaction filled up the container.