Marshmallow Cannon
Question: What ratio of baking soda and vinegar mixed together will best force a foam marshmallow to shoot out of a water bottle like a cannon?
HYPOTHESIS:
We think that when the vinegar (an acid) and the baking soda (a base) mix together it will pressure up the water bottle cannon and fire the foam marshmallow really far. We think the best ratio is 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of baking soda.
Materials:
1. baking soda
2. 1 bottle of vinegar 3. 1 clean, empty regular water bottle 4. 1 Tablespoon 5. 1 Foam marshmallow 6. an open space 7. 1 funnel 8. 1 paper towel 9. safety glasses 10. scissors |
Safety Procedures1. Do not mix baking soda and vinegar until told so. 2. Do not aim marshmallow at anyone/thing under any circumstances. 3. wear safety goggles/glasses. |
Procedure:1. Get a clean, empty water bottle.
2. Get some vinegar, baking soda, and a foam marshmallow. 3. Get a piece of paper towel and cut it into 4 pieces. Measure and place 1 tablespoon of baking soda onto one of the pieces of the paper towel. Using the widest edge of the piece of paper towel, roll the paper towel so that it looks like a tootsie roll. 4. Place the funnel in the bottle of water. Measure and pour three tablespoons of vinegar in the funnel. You should now have three tablespoons of vinegar in the water bottle. Remove the funnel. 5. Find a large open place to launch your marshmallow cannon. Hint--your marshmallow will sail between 20 and 50 feet out of the water bottle so make sure you have enough room and you aren't near anything fragile!! 6. Insert the paper towel tootsie roll of baking soda into the water bottle. Quickly insert the foam marshmallow in the top of the water bottle like a cork. (You have about 30 seconds or so to do this). Point the water bottle away from you at about a 60 degree angle. Safety reminder--always aim your marshmallow away from you and never aim it at anyone else! 8. Watch as your marshmallow flies out of the bottle!! Measure the distance from where you launched the marshmallow to where the marshmallow landed. How far did your marshmallow fly? (TIP: if the marshmallow does not go out of the bottle, try shaking the bottle a little bit. You can also try squeezing the bottle slightly from the bottom). 9. You can vary how far the foam marshmallow flies by changing the amount of vinegar you use. We found that when we used more vinegar (5-6 tablespoons) it went further and when we used less vinegar it did not go as far. Special Needs: Large open area. Safety reminder never EVER point the bottle at your face or someone else's face!! |
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The Science behind it
When one mixes baking soda and vinegar a chemical reaction occurs. This reaction is caused by the baking soda being an alkaline and the vinegar being acid based. When vinegar and baking soda are mixed, a chemical is formed. This chemical is called carbonic acid. This is a result of the vinegar's hydrogen ions and the baking soda's bicarbonate ions. sciencey:)
This experiment is about chemical reactions. When baking soda and vinegar are combined, it makes a fizzing reaction when the acid in the vinegar reacts with baking soda. The result is some water, Sodium Acetate and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) gas (the bubbles). When you close the water bottle with the rubber stopper, you prevent the CO2 gases from escaping the bottle and you are increasing the amount of gases inside the bottle. The build up of carbon dioxide inside the bottle causes an increase in air pressure inside the bottle. The air pressure gets to the point that the rubber stopper can't contain the gases inside the bottle and… WHOOOOOOSH!... the stopper is pushed out of the bottle.
We experimented with different amounts of vinegar. We started with three tablespoons of vinegar. We found that when we used less vinegar (1-2 tablespoons) the marshmallow did not go as far or would just fizzle out without launching the marshmallow. When we used more vinegar (4-5 tablespoons) the marshmallow went further.
This experiment is about chemical reactions. When baking soda and vinegar are combined, it makes a fizzing reaction when the acid in the vinegar reacts with baking soda. The result is some water, Sodium Acetate and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) gas (the bubbles). When you close the water bottle with the rubber stopper, you prevent the CO2 gases from escaping the bottle and you are increasing the amount of gases inside the bottle. The build up of carbon dioxide inside the bottle causes an increase in air pressure inside the bottle. The air pressure gets to the point that the rubber stopper can't contain the gases inside the bottle and… WHOOOOOOSH!... the stopper is pushed out of the bottle.
We experimented with different amounts of vinegar. We started with three tablespoons of vinegar. We found that when we used less vinegar (1-2 tablespoons) the marshmallow did not go as far or would just fizzle out without launching the marshmallow. When we used more vinegar (4-5 tablespoons) the marshmallow went further.
Conclusion.
In conclusion we found out that changing the amount of vinegar mixed with the baking soda can make the marshmallow go far, short, or just fizzle .
About NateNate is a ten year old kid who is very good with computers, likes testing fun experiments and loves to be around dogs. Nate also enjoys scuba diving and loves sharks.
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About StephenStephen is ten years old and has two cats, loves playing outside and likes playing with his friends.
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About Robert
Robert is a very humorous kid and is extremely intelligent.
Robert loves dogs very much and is also the vice president of the school! |
