The lovely Mummy Barrow recently sent me a link to a fab YouTube video of Steve Spangler popping film canisters on the Ellen show. I had been intending to pick up some canisters on my next shopping trip, but yesterday spotted a little effervescent tablet container in the cupboard. I didn’t want to waste the tablets, and didn’t have any alka seltzer, so decided to try some baking soda and vinegar instead.
How to make a Baking Soda Popper
What you need
- A container with a lid
- Vinegar
- Baking Soda
- Kitchen Roll
Baking Soda Popper Imstructions
I added about a cm of vinegar to the bottom of the canister, dropped in a little baking soda, put on the lid and stepped back. The top flew off almost immediately.
To try and slow the reaction down I wrapped the baking soda in a small piece of kitchen towel, which gave me enough time to put the canister down and grab a camera.
Remember to stand back straight away as these fly with a bang!
Baking Soda Popper Challenge
Can you try turning the canister upside down and popping the canister rather than the lid?
Why does a baking soda popper work?
Baking Soda is alkaline and reacts with acids like vinegar, releasing carbon dioxide ( a gas ) and water. The carbon dioxide gas builds up behind the lid of the canister. Â The gas has nowhere to go and is constantly being released by the reaction between vinegar and baking soda. Â More and more bits of gas squeeze into the tube, jostling with each other. Â The pressure builds and builds and suddenly the lid of the canister can’t take it any more and explodes off the main body. Â
The timing is fairly random so taking a good picture can be frustratingly hard. Â Can you take a photo of the lid popping off? I’d love to see it if you can.
* Be very careful with this activity the top of the canister shoots off at speed. Make sure all little and big people are well out of the way.
Oh how fabulous!!! I love this.
I am going to keep suitable canisters from now on.
Not so I can do it but so I can bring them all around to you for you to do it! I want to recreate the scene on the Ellen show where they did 2000 of them!
So simple, but such fun.
Thanks for having a go.
Brilliant – looks like enormous fun and am going to keep suitable canisters too 🙂
Nicely done! I was wondering if baking soda and vinegar would work for film canisters. Now we know!
My children would love doing this. Rummaging through the cupboards now for suitable containers.