Torpedo Report by Patrick

In class we were told to make torpedoes. Torpedoes have many different elements involved in making them propel. We were told to show how it related to stoichiometry, what the limiting and excess reactants and how they related in making the best torpedo in class.

So we began to write an explanation for how we would make the torpedo out of pipettes, baking soda and vinegar. How we were going to load the torpedo without it misfiring. We had to draw our prototypes and show how they worked.

After we had written our description plan we had to draw out a table explaining all of our different results and variables. We had variables like amount of baking soda, amount of vinegar, amount of acetic acid. Then we had to write how far the torpedo traveled in centimeters and how long it took to get there. We had to write another table under that one for overall class data, like name, time, and distance.   

The google definition of stoichiometry is: The relationship between the relative quantities of substances taking part in a reaction or forming a compound, typically a ratio of whole integers.

With that in mind it is easy to see how torpedoes are related to stoichiometry. We need to see how the amount of baking soda plus the amount of vinegar equaled how far the torpedo would end up going. Then theoretically we could devise a formula to see how much baking soda and how much vinegar are needed for optimum results in distance and time.

In my opinion the biggest variables came from how the launch actually occurred whether or not someone did not squeeze the tube correctly or too much vinegar got into the baking soda setting off a premature reaction.

I noticed that the more vinegar one had the better the reaction. Vinegar weighs 15.94 grams for every tablespoon while water only weighed 14.7 for every tablespoon. So I had to be careful about how much vinegar I used because my torpedo would sink. So I built a small flotation device out of another pipette to act as a flotation device. The ratio was about half the amount of baking soda to vinegar. In the pipette the max amount of vinegar I was able to fit in it was about 16.00 grams worth and I put about 8 grams worth of baking soda in the other pipette. I had the best reaction out of anyone I had seen of 120 centimeters in about 8 seconds.   

The three things that were the most interesting were watching Ms Raino make the trough for the torpedoes because it was leaking and very humorous.

It was very interesting to see how the science of adding things together could be broken down into a mathematical equation.

I think that it would be interesting to try and put something across the pipette to make a sort of flotation device out of the long sucky part of the pipette to counterbalance the weight instead of just going straight down into the water.

I think it would also be very interesting to add food coloring to the pipette’s vinegar portion like red or orange to simulate fire be propelled through the water. However I would be worried about the possibility that the food coloring would negate the chemical reaction that happens between the vinegar and baking soda.  

Ø  NaHCO₃ + HC₂H₃O₂ → NaC₂H₃O₂ + H₂CO₃   Normal reaction between baking soda and vinegar.  

What other things would make the reaction go off with more force? Like some sort of a third variable because you can only get so far with the amount of baking soda and vinegar. What else could you use to make it go off with more force?

This topic needs to be known because it is important to understand reactions. Not only that but if you ever want to do anything in college or most things, you will need to be able to understand a basic reaction and understanding how this works will help you know more complex reactions.

Here are some fun pictures of the final tests!