What Puts the Fizz in Alka-Seltzer(TM)

What Puts the Fizz in Alka-Seltzer(TM)

Youth will have the opportunity to observe a chemical reaction that has an everyday application.

Science Process Skills

observing

communicating

comparing

relating

applying

Materials

effervescent pain relief tablets such as Alka-Seltzerä

empty film canister - black type with grey lid

water

clear plastic cup

paper towels for clean up

Doing the Activity

Read the label on the tablet package. What chemicals are in the tablet? Some of the chemicals can be found in your kitchen, sodium bicarbonate is baking soda.

Place a tablet in the clear plastic cup and add water. Observe what happens.

Place one half of a tablet in your film canister.

Predict what will happen if you add water and then place the lid on the canister.

Caution: Make sure and point the canister away from yourself or anyone in your group. Add water and snap on the lid. Observe what happens.

Experiment with your film canister and additional half tablets.

Reflecting

Share your results with the rest of the group.

What happened when you added the water to the tablet?

What do you think gives the tablet it's fizz?

What gas do you think is produced?

Can you think of a way that we might test to see what type of gas it is?

What happened when you put the tablet in the film canister and added water?

What did you find out when you did further experiments with your film canister?

Did you try anything different? What happened? For example - adding more water, crushing the tablet, adding more tablets, shaking the canister, putting additional tablets in water that had already "fizzed".

Challenges (Generalizing)

Let's have a fizzing mini-explosion race! The goal of the race is to get the lid to pop off the canister as many times as you can. Decide how much water and tablets you will use. Remember that your goal is to get the canister lid to pop off as many times as possible. After each POP! you will need to quickly replace the lid and then get the lid to POP! again. Once the race starts you can not add any additional water or tablets. Are you ready - get set - GO!

How many POPS! did you get?

Who won the race?

How did they win the race?

More Challenges (Apply)

Design an experiment to find out how water temperature effects the tablets. Share the experiment and results with the group.

Use a tablet to power a film canister rocket. (the clear film canisters work best for rockets) Decide how much water and how many tablets will make your rocket fly the highest. Decorate your canister to look like a rocket. Add fins and a nose cone. Tape your tablet(s) to the inside lid of the film canister. Add water to the canister. Place the lid on the canister. Go outside. Quickly turn the canister upside down and place it on the ground. Move back and start your countdown. 3, 2, 1 blast off! How high did your rocket go?

What's Happening

A chemical reaction occurs when the sodium bicarbonate of the tablet mixes with water. The reaction releases carbon dioxide which can be seen as bubbles in the water. The tablets are an antacid. An antacid is a strong base that helps to neutralize or decrease the acid levels in the stomach. This change in the acid level helps to relieve indigestion and heartburn.

Activity Source

Fizz, Bubble, and Goo, Iowa State University Extension- Science, Engineering and Technology Youth Initiative, Ames, IA, 50011 (not for sale).

IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
University Extension

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	What Puts the Fizz in Alka-Seltzer(TM) Youth will have the opportunity to observe a chemical reaction that has an everyday application.
	Science Process Skills observing communicating comparing relating applying
	Materials effervescent pain relief tablets such as Alka-Seltzerä empty film canister - black type with grey lid water clear plastic cup paper towels for clean up
	Doing the Activity Read the label on the tablet package. What chemicals are in the tablet? Some of the chemicals can be found in your kitchen, sodium bicarbonate is baking soda. Place a tablet in the clear plastic cup and add water. Observe what happens. Place one half of a tablet in your film canister. Predict what will happen if you add water and then place the lid on the canister. Caution: Make sure and point the canister away from yourself or anyone in your group. Add water and snap on the lid. Observe what happens. Experiment with your film canister and additional half tablets.
	Reflecting Share your results with the rest of the group. What happened when you added the water to the tablet? What do you think gives the tablet it's fizz? What gas do you think is produced? Can you think of a way that we might test to see what type of gas it is? What happened when you put the tablet in the film canister and added water? What did you find out when you did further experiments with your film canister? Did you try anything different? What happened? For example - adding more water, crushing the tablet, adding more tablets, shaking the canister, putting additional tablets in water that had already "fizzed".
	Challenges (Generalizing) Let's have a fizzing mini-explosion race! The goal of the race is to get the lid to pop off the canister as many times as you can. Decide how much water and tablets you will use. Remember that your goal is to get the canister lid to pop off as many times as possible. After each POP! you will need to quickly replace the lid and then get the lid to POP! again. Once the race starts you can not add any additional water or tablets. Are you ready - get set - GO! How many POPS! did you get? Who won the race? How did they win the race?
	More Challenges (Apply) Design an experiment to find out how water temperature effects the tablets. Share the experiment and results with the group. Use a tablet to power a film canister rocket. (the clear film canisters work best for rockets) Decide how much water and how many tablets will make your rocket fly the highest. Decorate your canister to look like a rocket. Add fins and a nose cone. Tape your tablet(s) to the inside lid of the film canister. Add water to the canister. Place the lid on the canister. Go outside. Quickly turn the canister upside down and place it on the ground. Move back and start your countdown. 3, 2, 1 blast off! How high did your rocket go?
	What's Happening A chemical reaction occurs when the sodium bicarbonate of the tablet mixes with water. The reaction releases carbon dioxide which can be seen as bubbles in the water. The tablets are an antacid. An antacid is a strong base that helps to neutralize or decrease the acid levels in the stomach. This change in the acid level helps to relieve indigestion and heartburn.
	Activity Source Fizz, Bubble, and Goo, Iowa State University Extension- Science, Engineering and Technology Youth Initiative, Ames, IA, 50011 (not for sale).