They are given 15-20 minutes to draw and write out what they think will happen. The last 20 minutes of class are spent outside testing their rockets. Remember to have students wear eye protection. Each pair must decide what they agree on and how to build their rocket. The pairs should each have a schematic of their rocket and a way to determine fuel efficiency.
Students sign up to be in the order they want to compete.
We set them off. When things don't go as planned, the students are given a chance to correct any error and retry once. We return to the classroom where the lab report is begun. Students are exposed to air pressure and volume and the associated laws. The different combinations of reactants are discussed and we graph how much water gives the best height based on a given amount of alka seltzer.