Soda Pop Rockets, by Paul Jarvis

 

The great thing about having kids is that you get to play kid games and pretend you’re doing it for the benefit of the children.  I’ve blogged about childrens books I’ve enjoyed, and about dangerous books I’ve come across – now I have the chance to combine the three in a single post.  Talk about serendipity!

My oldest came home one day with the notion he’d picked up in school that one could build a rocket using a soda bottle.  I was intrigued, so I looked it up on the Intertubes and found simple instructions for making a water-powered rocket.  One rubber stopper, bike pump and needle, and a couple of PVC fittings later, we had a simple launcher.  Pump air into the partially-filled (with water, of course) plastic bottle, and wait for the air pressure to burst the rocket off the launch pad.  The best part about it was the cool spray it gave on a hot summer day, but watching the bottle climb to 75 feet or so was quite impressive.

Paul Jarvis has taken the next step in Soda Pop Rockets.  Starting by modifying the simple launch design, he adds increasingly complex elements until the H2O rocketeer is creating multi-stage missiles complete with parachute recovery systems and sound effects.  He also evaluates each design for its launch parameters – height, angle, and aesthetics.  For those interested in basic trigonometry, Jarvis includes plans for a simple measuring tool that helps determine the altitude you attain.  A warning for those who think this can just be given to the kids – there are a couple of designs that involve high heat and open flame.

On the downside, I got this book in mid-October, just when the temperature plummeted, so I have a feeling I’ll be checking it out again come April or May.  I can’t wait to try some of these.  I might even let the kids help.

Check the WRL catalog for Soda Pop Rockets

 

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