The

Cha-Thai
Report
Chananan Sanamchai 5861014
Nitinan Yotsakulsate 5861311
Siriwan Faimongkhon 5761136
Lalida Suriyanonrin 5861309
Panisa Rawdloy 5861090

General Chemistry
Mahidol University International Demonstration School
Lab Instructor - PFai, PWin, PRick
Semester 2, 2017
Lecture Instructor - Ms. Sorasaree Tonsiengsom
Abstract

In this experiment, we made a rocket from water bottles and many other materials and we
made a launcher from pvc pipes. For the nose of the rocket, we made it in a parabola shape because
it is the best way to make a nose of a rocket, then we use a board to make fins for the rocket. Our
goal in this experiment is to make the rocket hit the target which is 20 meters away using vinegar and
baking soda. We have to do so many trial to calculate the amount of vinegar and baking soda that we
need and we need to use a certain angle for the launcher. To start our experiment, we pour vinegar
into our rocket and then we put baking soda on a tissue and fold it and put it inside the rocket. Once
we put our baking soda in, we use a cork to block the chemical from leaking out of the rocket. After
that, we put it on the launcher, set the degree, and wait for the chemical reaction to react. For our
experiment, it turn out that the best amount of chemical is 200 ml of vinegar and 15.53g of baking
soda along with an angle of 40 degrees for the launcher.

Introduction-overview

In this experiment, we made a water bottle rocket that is launch by using the chemical
reaction between vinegar and baking soda. Vinegar and baking soda react to each other because of
an acid-base reaction. Baking soda is a bicarbonate (NaHCO3) and vinegar is an acetic acid
(HCH3COO).
One of the products this reaction creates is carbon dioxide. When we launch a rocket,
theres a lot of bubbling and foaming and the bubbles and foam you see filled with carbon dioxide
gas (CO2) thats being released by an acid-base reaction. Initially, the reaction makes carbonic acid
which is unstable. It quickly breaks down into CO2 and water. The gas then rapidly leaves the water
creating foam and bubbles along the way. When we use a cork to close the bottle, it prevent the CO2
from immediately escaping the bottle. This causes a rapid increase of pressure inside the bottle. The
pressure will eventually gets to the point that the cork can no longer contain the gases and then it
will come out and the rocket will be launch. For addition, when the content inside the rocket shoot
downward, the rocket itself shoot upward. This demonstrate Newtons third law of motion which
state that for every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction. The reaction is the air pushing
back with the same amount of force going the other way.

Objective

This experiment is the integration of Physics and Chemistry lessons. Chemistry come along in
the chemical reaction part, which happens between vinegar and baking soda. Baking soda is base
and vinegar is acid. They will act as the rockets fuel further on. The amount of chemical uses will
base on the balance calculation of our reactants, the number which will then make the rocket land in
the right place. This experiment is to find the best design for the rocket containing smallest balance
amount of chemicals that will bring the rocket into hitting the target 20 meters away using the
information from chemical calculation.
Materials
1. Rocket 2. Launcher 3. Rubber stopper

4. Scale 5. Graduated cylinder 6. Measuring spoon

7. Stapler 8. Tissue paper (thin)

Chemical Materials
1. 200 ml. Vinegar CH3COOH 2. 15.5 g. Baking soda NaHCO3
Methods

Data Table

Unofficial experiment

No of Vinegar Baking Note (Conditions) Result Evaluation

trials (ml.) Soda (g.)

1 350 ml. 24 g. - 35 launcher - Explode too quickly - Reduce the size of

- No wind - Baking soda mix wrapped baking soda
with vinegar bag
- Lose the lid

2 350 ml. 24 g. - 35 launcher - Release but does - Store the reaction

- No wind not go gas before release
- Long shape of - 0 meter
baking soda bag - Some chemicals
stick to the lid were left unused
 3 350 ml. 24 g. - 35 launcher - Explode - There might be
- No wind - Leak problem with the lid
- Long shape of because its leak
baking soda bag - Try more chemical
stick to the lid
- Hold the bottle
before release

4 400 ml. 24 g. - Set the rocket - 6 meters - Try different ratio of

vertically - It launches. chemicals
- Leak - Make the lid more
waterproof

5 250 ml. 10.5 g. - Change the lid - Does not launch - 2 pieces of tissue is
- Wrap baking - No reaction too thick
soda with 2 pieces - Leak
of tissue

6 280 ml. 7 g. - 25 launcher - 19.5 meters - The glue cant be

- 1 piece of tissue used for next time.
- Glue the lid to Need alternative to
make it waterproof make the lid
waterproof.
- The problem is
leaking
- Use one layer of
tissue to wrap baking
soda is a key, so the
reaction happen all at
the same time.

Refer to the best result from the table above, the chemicals are overused in the
beginning. Cork and number of tissue layer are very significant to the result. With leak cork, the
rocket didnt go. More than 1 layer of tissue, the rocket explode too quickly and have a lot of
leftover baking soda.
We can analyse that using tight cork will store the reaction before releasing the rocket,
and using one thin layer of tissue make the chemical reaction happen all at the same time
because theres no leftover baking soda.
Official Experiment

Accuracy Mass of Baking soda Vinegar Angle of Distance

object volume propulsion covered

0 21.3g 200 mL 40 degrees 25 meters

83.48g

5 83.48g 15.42g 200 mL 40 degrees 20 meters

Result

According to our best result, we used 200 ml of vinegar and 15.42 g of baking soda and
our rocket weight is 83.48 g. For the launcher, we set it at an angle of 40 degrees. By using this
certain amount of chemical and certain weight of rocket, along with one specific degree of the
launcher, we got our best result which is five out of five for the accuracy. As a result, we can
see that the amount of baking soda, vinegar, the angle of propulsion, and the mass of object
are the important thing that we focused throughout the experiment. We have to use the
specific amount of those of the things. As you can see from our result, the less vinegar we use,
the more the distance covered.

Discussion

During the reaction between baking soda (NaHCO3 ) and vinegar (CH3COOH) yield
trihydrogen carbonate (H3CO 3) which will decomposition to carbon dioxide (CO2) and water
(H2O), Sodium ion (Na ), and acetate ion (CH3COO-) which the chemical equation is
+

NaHCO3 + CH3COOH
CO2+ H2O
+ Na+ + CH3COO

-

Baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, has molecular weight of 84.01 mol. Its physical
properties are white odorless, crystalline solid, completely soluble in water, has pH of
8.3. Baking soda frequency use for food processing, beverages, and household cleaning
products. It has the chemical properties of not being flammable, being easily
decomposed by acids, starting to decompose in water solution at approximately 20
degrees Celsius and an increasing alkalinity in solution as it is heated or stirred.
Vinegar, is a mixture of water, acetic acid (CH3COOH) about 5% to 20%, and other
favoring chemical. We used 5% vinegar in our experiment. The properties of vinegar,
especially its physical qualities, depend on the type and amount of minerals, vitamins,
fiber and organic compound used for its production. These elements produce slight
variations in color, level of acidity, and nutritional value (Enzyme-facts.com).The
 chemical formula of vinegar is the chemical formula of acetic acid, because its a dilute
solution of acetic acid. A molecule of acetic acid contains two carbon, four hydrogen
and two oxygen atoms. The molecular structure is written as CH3COOH. The pH of
vinegar depend on amount of acid in vinegar but usually has pH of 2.4.
Limiting reagent is the reactant used up first in the reaction which in this reaction
is baking soda. Excess reagent is the reactant present in quantities greater than
necessary to react with the quantity of limiting reagent which in this reaction is vinegar.
From the calculation, theoretical yield of the product, CO2 is 0.18 mol, and 7.9 g.
After the launching try out, we found several mistakes such as chemical leak,
remaining substance and air resistance. We covered the wine cork with plastic tape,
balloon, and parafilm to make the cork fit enough that the chemical substance cant
leak. For our best result, we change from wine cork to the labs rubber stopper which
work a lot better and also decrease the remaining substance in the reaction, too.
Another variable that cause the remaining reactance is the napkin that we put the baking
soda inside to slow down the reaction which when we used too thick will increase
remain substance from the reaction. Lastly, the air resistance which is unpredictable and
uncontrollable. We pulled some grass and let them go to see the direction of the air and
set up the launcher to make the rocket fly in the exact direction.

Calculation

NaHCO3 + CH3COOH
CO2+ H2O
+ Na+ + CH3COO

-

NaHCO3 + CH3COOH
CO2+ H2O
+ Na+ +
-
CH3COO

Molecular NaHCO3 + CH3COOH

CO2
Formula

Molecular 84.001g/ml 60.05g/ml 44.01g/ml

Weight

Weight (g) 15.42g 200ml 0.18 x 44.01

(10g) = 7.9g
15.42 g 10 g (200ml) 7.9 g
Mol 84.001 g/mol 60.05 g/mol 44.01 g/mol

= 0.18 mol 0.17 x 200ml

100
= 0.18 mol
(Limiting = 0.34
Reagent)
Suggestion

Carefully choose the cork that tight enough, so it doesnt leak. The reaction is reduced
when the rocket is leak.
Use thin enough material to hold the baking soda because when some part already
release the reaction, the other part havent start to mix yet. The chemical will be left
wasted and doesnt go as far as it should be.

Conclusion

From several trials, we found that the best result that give us exactly 20 meters need
200 ml of vinegar and 15.42g of baking soda. We set the angle of the launcher at 40 degrees
and the weight of the rocket is 83.48g. Using this data, it gave us the best result which is five
out of five for the accuracy.

References

- Weight Conversions for Baking Ingredients. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://bakerbettie.com/Baking-101
/weight-conversions-baking-ingredients/.

- Sodium Bicarbonate. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.chemicalland21.com/industrialchem/
inorganic/SODIUM%20BICARBONATE.html

- Properties of Vinegar. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.enzyme-facts.com/properties-of-vinegar.
html.

- What are the Chemical properties of Baking Soda? (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.reference.com/
science/chemical-properties-baking-soda-21d85e332a8c1a0d.