Get an adult to help you. Be safe and stay well back when you've set it up.

You will need:
Half a soluble tablet
An empty film canister
Water

		Step 1 First put a small amount of water in the film canister (just enough to cover the bottom). Then drop in the half-tablet.
		Step 2 Quickly put the lid on the canister and turn it upside down so it rests on the lid. Then stand back!!
		Step 3 It’s best to do this outdoors, or at least not near anything breakable. It might take a while but don't go back to it once you have set it up - stay well back! What do you think will happen?
		Step 4 The flying canister moves so fast, it is just a blur in the picture below. Check out the video to see it for real. Try doing a whole lot of them together and seeing which ones go first.

Why does this happen?

Water-soluble indigestion tablets are made up of powdered acid and base bound together.

The grey blurry mark is the film canister shooting into the air. James makes sure he stays well back

When dry they don’t react, but when dissolved in water the acid reacts violently with the base to make carbon dioxide gas – this is what makes it fizz.

When this happens inside a film canister the gas can’t escape like it does in a glass, so the pressure builds up until it is enough to blow the canister violently up into the air.

Book review: The Inventors

Jake pops back home

Gardening with grandpa Gipp