Name_______________________________________________Date___________Hour____

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Alkaseltzer Cannons: What Speeds Up a Reaction?
Purpose: To Identify ways to speed up the reaction in the Alka-Seltzer
cannon?
Instructions:

Brainstorm with your group things that you could change about the
way you set up the cannon that might make a difference in how
quickly the cannon goes off.
CHOOSE ONE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE TO TEST. Your dependent
variable will be the time it takes for the cannon to go off.
Write the beginning of your lab report. Every student must write their
own. I realize that since you will be working together, much of the
planning work will be extremely similar. BUT YOUR
CALCULATIONS AND CONCLUSION MUST BE IN YOUR OWN
VOICE. IF THERE ARE ANY CONCLUSIONS THAT ARE
IDENTICAL, I WILL NOT GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR YOUR LAB.
Rough Draft-The following checkmarks should be complete
before you begin your lab.
Title
Purpose/Problem
Background Information about the Alka-Seltzer cannon and how
and why it works.
Hypothesis: In this section, List your hypothesis, your independent
variable, the dependent variable and as many constants that you can
think of. Please be specific.

*Remember that it is more efficient to write the next sections in reverse

order than in the order that they typically appear.*
Before you begin, write:
Analysis/Calculations: set up the calculations you will have to make.
Remember you will have to average multiple trials together.
Data Table: Create a data table that you will fill in later.
Procedure: You need to do 2 trials for your set-up. Unless you are
testing the amount of Alka-Seltzer or the amount of water, use
tablet and full of water each time. Each group will be allotted 2
tablets MAX. If you need more than that, you may bring in your own
tablets from home. *You must get your procedure signed off by
me before you begin.*

 Materials: List exact amounts of every material used. (Check with

your teacher before planning for additional materials to ensure that
they are available.)
Safety: State what safety concerns you need to think about.

NOW YOU ARE READY TO PERFORM YOUR LAB!

Perform your lab. Fill in the data table as you go. Be sure to
note in writing if you make any changes to your procedure as
you go. You can include these changes in your final write up.

FINISH YOUR LAB WRITE UP! THE FINAL PRODUCT SHOULD BE

IN THE SAME ORDER AS YOUR RUBRIC!!!
Calculations: Complete your calculations.
Always label clearly what you are calculating. Each calculation
should have a title.
Always write the equations you need first. YOU MUST ALWAYS
SHOW YOUR EQUATIONS.
Make your number substitutions into your equations.
Show all your work, make sure units are on everything, and use
proper sig figs! NO NAKED NUMBERS!
If multiple trials are done for the same variable, you need only
show the full calculation ONE time and report the other values.
Often times it helps to calculate an average to help you draw a
conclusion and it is sometimes helpful to summarize your
answers in a calculations table.
Example: For this lab, you will be calculating the
average of your trials.
T 1+T 2+ T 3
Average of Trials=
3
Note: You may not have three trials
calculate your average for however many
trials you completed.
Results: Include a sentence summary of your data. Dont attempt to
explain why it happened, just write what happened. Simply restate
your data (post calculations)! Include any charts and graphs you may
have created and state the general trend.

DO NOT DRAW ANY CONCLUSIONS or offer any explanations

here. Save that for your conclusion section.

Conclusion:
Restate your problem.
Briefly summarize what you did in the lab.
Claim: What were the results of your investigation?
Evidence: Restate your hypothesis. Was your hypothesis
correct? Why or why not? Prove it using your data.
Reasoning: Using the scientific principles of kinetics and
reaction rates, describe why the evidence supports your claim.
(In other words, explain using the science you know about this
topic why you saw the patterns you did.)
Give two possible sources of error (measuring/massing wrong is
NOT a source of error!).
Alka-Seltzer Cannon - 40 points
Title - 1 point total
Remember--no cutesy titles, give a clear picture of what you are investigating.
1 point: Title directly relates to lab and is not cutesy!
0 points: Title is not appropriate for lab.
Purpose 1 point
What are we going to investigate?
----------------------1 point: Purpose of the lab is clearly identified and stated.
0 point: The purpose of the lab or the question to be answered during the lab is erroneous
or irrelevant.
Background Info 1 point
List any information you know about how the Alka-Seltzer cannon works. (1 pt)
-----------1 points: All necessary background information is given. No extra information is given.
0 points: Info left blank or inaccurate
Hypothesis 5 points
Please list in this section your hypothesis (2 points), independent variable (1 pt), dependent
variable (1 pt) and constants (1 pt). Please be specific. (5 points total)
------------5 points: All necessary information is stated. No extra information is given.
4 points: Missing one of the above
3 points: Missing two of the above
2 points: Missing three of the above
1 points: Background information is missing some necessary steps or includes a lot of
extra information.
0 point: Background information is all inappropriate or unnecessary/blank

Materials 3 points
What things do we need to do it? 3 points total
--------------------------3 points: All materials and setup used in the experiment are listed.
2 points: Most of the materials and the setup used in the experiment are listed
1 point: Many materials are missing
Safety 1 point
What safety considerations do we need to think about?
----------------1 point: Lab is carried out with full attention to relevant safety procedures.
0 point: Lab is carried out with some attention to relevant safety procedures.
Procedure 8 points
How can we take that data or observations? You need to do 2 trials for your set-up. Unless
you are testing amount of Alka-Seltzer or amount of water, use 1/4 tablet and 1/2 full of
water each time. Each group will be allotted 2 tablets MAX! So you need to plan
out your lab appropriately. You must find one other group that tested the same variable
and enter their data into your table. Be sure to indicate which data is yours and which data
belongs to the other group. 8 points
----------GENERAL:
2 points: Procedures are listed in clear steps. Each step is numbered and is a complete
sentence.
1 points: Procedures are listed in a logical order, but steps are not numbered and/or are
not in complete sentences.
0 point: Procedures do not accurately list the steps of the experiment.
REPLICABILITY:
2 points: Procedures appear to be replicable. Steps are outlined sequentially and are
adequately detailed.
1 point: Steps are outlined, but there is not enough detail to replicate procedures.
SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS:
2 points: Report illustrates an accurate and thorough understanding of scientific concepts
underlying the lab.
1 points: Report illustrates a limited understanding of scientific concepts underlying the
lab.
0 point: Report illustrates inaccurate understanding of scientific concepts underlying the
lab.
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN:
2 points: Experimental design is well-constructed for the problem.
1 points: Experimental design is relevant to the problem, but is not complete OR steps are
done in an illogical order.
0 point: Experimental design is not complete AND steps are done in an illogical order.
Data 4 points
What data or observations do we need to take? Create your data table that you will fill in
later. Be sure to label your group's data and the other group's data.
---------------------4 points: All of the following: Units appropriate, groups are labeled, data taken is
appropriate to the problem, data taken is accurate, no calculations are used.
3 points: missing one of the above.
2 points: missing two of the above.
1 point: missing three of the above.

Analysis /Calculations 3 points

What will our final results statement or calculation need to look like? Set up your final
statement or calculation that you will fill in later.
If appropriate, calculate the average of the trials of the experimental setups. Look for a
trend in the data. 3 points
----------------3 points: All of the following: Units are appropriate, sig digs are correct, calculations are
shown, calculations are correct.
2 points: Missing one of the above
1 points: Missing two or more of the above
0 point: Made no attempt to analyze the data
Results 3 points
Make an overall statement of your results (but no interpretations at this point!) 3 points
--------------3 points: All of the following (when appropriate): summarizes data in word form, complete
sentences, no conclusions are drawn.
2 points: Missing one of the above.
1 point: Missing two of the above.
Conclusion 10 points
In complete sentences and in paragraph form: Restate your problem (1 pt), briefly
summarize what you did in the lab (1 pt) give your results (1 pt), hypothesis restated, was
your hypothesis correct, why, why not and proof (2 pt), what were the scientific principles
that supported your claim (3 pts) give 2 possible sources of error (be specific - 2 pts).
Remember on the weebly site there is a great outline of how a good conclusion should be
written. 10 points
-------------------GENERAL:
2 points: All of the following: Problem restated, brief summary of lab.
1 points: Missing 1 of the above.
0 point: Missing 2 of the above.
CLAIM, EVIDENCE, REASONING:
CLAIM:
1 point: The results of your investigation were clearly stated.
0 points: The results were not clearly stated.
EVIDENCE:
2 points: All of the following: Hypothesis restated, was your hypothesis correct, why or why
not using data as proof.
1 points: Missing one or more of the above.
REASONING:
3 points: Use scientific principles to explain why the evidence supports your claim.
2 points: Scientific principles are not valid.
1 point: No scientific principles were used.
0 points: You dont know what the heck youre taking about.
ERROR ANALYSIS:
2 points: All of the following: error (when appropriate), 2 sources of error discussed.
Sources are appropriate.