How high can you launch this can? Let's find OUT! |
watch your money vanish quicker than quick |
OR... you can make this same pack of firecrackers last for hours! The whole afternoon, even. Okay, so let's gather the few things you will need to make this work. You will need:
1 regular tin can (corn, beans, etc). Open, drained, rinsed, and label removed
1 larger can (coffee) lid removed
a hammer
a nail
package of simple firecrackers
a long lighter
adult supervision coupled with copious amounts of common sense
A small but mighty "Kit-O' Fun" for you and yours. |
Take your opened, drained, rinsed, label-removed tin can and turn it upside down. Take your nail and place it in the center of the can.
Mr. D demonstrating the hammer/nail effect |
Now you want to find the package of regular firecrackers you will be using.
They tend to come with the fuses twisted together. You will need to carefully pull them apart so they are all single use firecrackers
Firecrackers come in all different sizes and you need to make your hole fit these perfectly. After you separate them into individual firecrackers, take the nail out of the can and see if your firecracker will fit.
The hole will most likely not be big enough at first and you will need to widen it a bit.
Mr. D just takes the same nail and lowering it down at an angle, spins it around with some pressure to widen the hole. Keep testing it little by little. You are going to want the firecracker to be able to slide down and fit snugly into the hole, but NOT fall in. Just the tip of the firecracker and the fuse should be sticking out of the top of the can.
Is this exciting or what?! |
By the way, if you don't have a larger coffee type can, you can also use a heavy duty bucket.
This was Mr D back in 2008, we had two (count um) TWO buckets for launching |
What it will look like when you look down in the can:
The water doesn't show up on camera, but it's there and it's what makes this little science experiment work |
Now using your "go go gadget arm" you want to carefully reach into the can with a long lighter and light the fuse
Then, using your ninja like skills, run as fast as you can away from the can.
Where's Mr. D? Oh he ran to safety already. Hopefully you will have enough time to not only run away, but to turn and watch. The water pressure at the bottom of the can makes a seal, and when the firecracker goes off, it will launch the can high in the air.
Hard to catch on camera, but I got one! Can shot high in the air |
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