College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
1N22.35 - Pop Bottle Alcohol Rocket
Put 1 ml of alcohol into the pop bottle and shake or turn the bottle to distribute the alcohol on the walls of the bottle. Place the bottle into the launch pad but make sure you do not disturb the spark wires during insertion. Place the protective tube over the bottle. Press the piezo sparker and the bottle should be launched up to the ceiling in LR1 or LR2. NOTE: One layer of electrical tape around the mouth of the pop bottle may be necessary to insure a good fit into the launch pad.
J. R. Mattox, "Spark Ignition of Combustible Vapor in a Plastic Bottle as a Demonstration of Rocket Propulsion", TPT, Vol. 55, #1, Jan. 2017, p. 30.
Disclaimer: These demonstrations are provided only for illustrative use by persons affiliated with The University of Iowa and only under the direction of a trained instructor or physicist. The University of Iowa is not responsible for demonstrations performed by those using their own equipment or who choose to use this reference material for their own purpose. The demonstrations included here are within the public domain and can be found in materials contained in libraries, bookstores, and through electronic sources. Performing all or any portion of any of these demonstrations, with or without revisions not depicted here entails inherent risks. These risks include, without limitation, bodily injury (and possibly death), including risks to health that may be temporary or permanent and that may exacerbate a pre-existing medical condition; and property loss or damage. Anyone performing any part of these demonstrations, even with revisions, knowingly and voluntarily assumes all risks associated with them.