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Build some Matchrockets! The infamous matchrocket...an easy, cool physics demonstration of jet propulsion. This is a superb demonstration of jet propulsion. Matchrockets show Isaac Newton's laws of motion in action. Newton's third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The combustion products from the burning match (smoke and gas) are the 'action' and the movement of the matchrocket in the other direction is the 'reaction.' The action of thrust is produced when the match burns in an enclosed environment. The aluminum foil acts as the rocket combustion chamber. Because the opening in the foil is small, pressure builds up in the chamber and escapes as a rapid stream of smoke and gas. The combustion of the match also demonstrates the "Fire Tetrahedron"--the chemicals in the match head provide both fuel and oxidizer, the flame applied to the match head provide the heat, which triggers the chemical chain reaction of the match head burning. NASA even has a page about match rockets, see it HERE. To make a matchrocket, you'll need: A standard book of paper matches A small square of aluminum foil A safety pin, straight pin, or needle A paper clip First, set the match on a small piece of aluminum foil, about 1/2 inch by 3/4 inch. Place the pin over the match to form the exhaust channel. Note the shape of the foil piece below...we found that having more foil around the match head reduced burn-through (and rocket failure). Less foil for the exhaust channel keeps the power to weight ratio good--if you use too much foil, the rocket will be too heavy for the thrust to move. Next, fold the foil around the match, compressing it tightly around the pin to make a distinct channel for the exhaust. Fold the extra foil back around the match head. Remove the pin. Bend the paper clip into a launch rail (see photo below). Now you have a completed matchrocket, ready for launch! Find a safe launch area for your experiment! A concrete driveway outside would be excellent--the rocket could travel up to 30 feet. Make sure there is nothing combustible nearby that could catch on fire at either the launch pad or landing area. Keep a bucket of water nearby in case something does catch on fire. Don't do this experiment indoors! Adult supervision ONLY! Point the matchrocket and launch rail in a safe direction. Light another match or a butane lighter and heat the head of the matchrocket. Keep your hands, face and body out of the way, and the same with your bystanders! Wear safety glasses. The matchrocket will ignite after a few seconds of heating, and fly on its way. We've seen them fly 30 feet! 10 feet is an excellent result. Be aware the spent matchrocket will be HOT, and could start a fire! A matchrocket launch. These are frames 1 and 5, sampled at 30 frames per second. Note the blurred, airborne matchrocket in the second picture. Click either photo to download a 3-second (346K) video of the launch. If your rocket puffs smoke and stays on the launch pad, there are many changes you can try. Use a different book of matches, use a thicker or thinner pin to form the exhaust channel, or try using more or less foil in different parts of the rocket. Make sure the foil is compressed tightly around the match like the pictures above show, and forms a good tight channel for the exhaust. If the foil burns through on the match head, try using more foil around only the head of the rocket. It takes some experimentation, but you should have very little trouble getting your matchrockets flying! This experiment could be carried much further. If you videotaped the launch against a black background with a 1-foot grid overlaid, you could calculate the acceleration and final speed of the matchrocket by measuring the travel on individual video frames, since you know the sample rate is 30 frames per second. Larger kitchen matches can work, also. If you weighed the rocket before launch, you could calculate the thrust produced by the propellant also! !!! - EXPERIMENT SAFETY INFORMATION - !!! -- Caution Required -- Like your mother always told you, "You could put an eye out with that!" Please wear safety goggles and use caution. Experiment in a safe, non-flammable area, and keep a bucket of water handy so you don't set anything on fire! Match Stick Rocket Links NASA's Match Stick Rocket Page Bizzare Stuff's Matchrocket Rocket Lab's Match Rocket We will gladly accept, review and consider your science experiment submissions for inclusion on this site, whether you are age 6 or age 100! Email us for details. Every experiment on these pages must be done with adult supervision only!!! If you are already an adult, we recommend getting a friend to help so you don't do anything childish and hurt yourself. We'll try to provide safety warnings, but cannot be held responsible for your own safety. Many of these experiments and many of the books we sell are from another era when safety was not a consideration, so PAY ATTENTION to the hazards of what you are doing! Wear safety goggles and gloves. Don't be stupid--YOU are supposed to be the adult here!

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THIS PAGE LAST UPDATED 1/23/02