Street Science (2017–…): Season 1, Episode 10 - Rocket Blast - full transcript

THAT'S CROOKED ROCKETRY,

AND NOT IN THE WAY THAT
THE ROCKETS GO LIKE THIS.

WHEN YOU'RE SHOOTING FOR THE STARS...

I NEED TO DEFEND MY HONOR HERE, KEVIN.

ALL RIGHT, FINE.

Delaney: ...YOU DON'T ALWAYS NEED NASA

TO BUILD A ROCKET.

I'M NOT WILLING TO MAKE
THAT BOLD OF A CLAIM, BUT FINE.

WE'RE TRYING SOME INDOOR ERUPTIONS...

THIS IS WILD!

...AND SOME OUTDOOR EXPLOSIONS.



THERE WE GO!

BUT DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT STUFF?

THREE, TWO, ONE.

MY NAME IS KEVIN DELANEY.

I'VE BEEN SHOWING OFF THE
MAGIC OF SCIENCE FOR YEARS,

EVERYWHERE FROM MUSEUMS
TO LATE-NIGHT TALK SHOWS.

SCIENCE IS ALL AROUND US,
AND I WANT THE WORLD TO SEE IT,

SO I'M COMBINING EVERYDAY ELEMENTS

IN WAYS THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND.

[ SCREAMING ]

I'VE GOT A TEAM OF EXPERTS
AND HIGH-TECH CAMERAS

THAT WILL REVEAL THE
SCIENCE THAT SURROUNDS US

IN WAYS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

I'M TAKING SCIENCE TO THE STREETS.



THIS IS "STREET SCIENCE."

Man: THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO.

Delaney: I'M TESTING
TO SEE IF IT'S POSSIBLE

TO MAKE WORKING ROCKETS

FROM EVERYDAY HOUSEHOLD ITEMS.

DARREN AND I ARE OFF TO A RESTAURANT

WHERE THE TEAM IS SETTING
UP FOR A LARGE-SCALE ATTEMPT

TO USE CARBON DIOXIDE
GAS TO POWER MINI-ROCKETS.

BUT FIRST, A SNACK.

I'M DIGGIN' IN FOR ANOTHER.

MORE HOT STUFF.

OH. OH, BOY.

-NOT FEELING SO HOT, HUH? -MNH-MNH.

-HELLO. -HEY, WHAT'S UP?

- YOU GUYS ARE DOING GOOD?
- YEAH. DOIN' REAL WELL.

HERE'S SOME NAPKINS.

I THINK I MIGHT HAVE EVEN HAD TOO MUCH.

YOU'RE FULL ALREADY? YEAH,
I'M MOVING ON TO ANTACIDS.

DO YOU EVER USE THOSE?

♪♪

THAT MIGHT SOUND LIKE AN ODD QUESTION,

BUT I'M GOING TO SHOW THESE FOLKS

HOW A SIMPLE ANTACID

CAN LAUNCH A VERY TINY ROCKET.

I HAVE SOME ANTACID TABLETS IN HERE.

SO, YOU DROP IT IN WATER, AND IT FIZZES,

-AND IT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER. -OKAY.

SO, I'M GONNA POUR
JUST A LITTLE BIT OF WATER

IN THERE, OKAY?

TURN IT UPSIDE-DOWN.

SO, THAT ANTACID'S GONNA
RELEASE ALL THAT GAS...

...IN JUST A SECOND.

-AAH! -YEP, THAT'S IT.

-THERE YOU GO! -THAT'S COOL.

THE PRESSURE PRODUCED BY
A DISSOLVING ANTACID TABLET

IS COMPARABLE TO THE PRESSURE CREATED

BY SHAKING A CAN OF SODA.

THE ANTACID IS MADE UP

OF SODIUM BICARBONATE AND CITRIC ACID.

AND WHEN YOU MIX IT WITH
WATER, A REACTION OCCURS,

GIVING OFF A LOT OF CARBON DIOXIDE.

AND THE POP IS THE RESULT

OF THE BUILT-UP PRESSURE
OF THE GAS ESCAPING.

WHAT IF INSTEAD OF ONE OF
THESE, WE HAD 5,000 OF THEM?

YOU'D HAVE TO TAKE COVER, PROBABLY.

WELL, I'LL SHOW YOU GUYS
SOMETHING COOL INSIDE.

-OKAY. -OKAY.

Delaney: OUR CHALLENGE IS TO LAUNCH 5,000

OF THESE TINY ROCKETS ALL AT ONCE.

TO GIVE IT OUR BEST SHOT,

THE ENTIRE TEAM IS PUTTING TOGETHER

THIS GIANT CONTRAPTION.

CHRIS GIUFFRE, OUR LEAD BUILDER,

HAS BROUGHT IN THREE HUGE PIVOTING TABLES.

THE TEAM IS GLUING 5,000
BOTTLE CAPS TO THE TABLE

WITH 5,000 ANTACID TABLETS GLUED ONTO THEM.

WE THEN FILL EACH OF THE BOTTLES
WITH JUST A TEASPOON OF WATER,

THEN POP THEM ONTO THE CAP RIGHT-SIDE UP.

WHEN EVERYTHING IS IN POSITION,

WE'LL FLIP THESE TABLES
OVER AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

HI, EVERYBODY! I'M KEVIN.

WE'RE GONNA DO A LITTLE
BIT OF AN EXPERIMENT HERE.

EACH ONE OF THESE TABLES IS FILLED

WITH THOUSANDS OF VIALS

WITH ANTACID TABLETS IN THEM.

-YOU GUYS USE THOSE? -YES.

WE'RE GONNA SEE WHAT WE CAN DO

AND MAKE A COUPLE OF ROCKETS WITH THEM.

-SO, ARE YOU GUYS READY? -YES.

-IS EVERYBODY READY? -WHOO!

ALL RIGHT, ON THREE.

THREE, TWO, ONE.

BOY, THAT'S A LOT OF THEM.

THIS IS WILD!

IT'S LIKE A RAINSTORM.

-THIS IS! -WHOO!

ALL RIGHT!

AND IF ANYBODY HAS A STOMACHACHE,

SORRY, WE BOUGHT ALL THE ANTACID IN TOWN.

[ LAUGHTER ]

BASICALLY, WHAT HAPPENED...
AS SOON AS THAT ANTACID TABLET,

WHICH IS A SODIUM BICARBONATE

AND CITRIC ACID IN A LITTLE ASPIRIN,

AS SOON AS IT HITS THAT WATER,

IT'S AN ACID-BASE REACTION

THAT GIVES OFF CARBON DIOXIDE GAS.

THAT GAS BUILDS UP
PRESSURE UNDERNEATH THE LID,

AND EVENTUALLY ENOUGH
PRESSURE TO POP IT UP IN THE AIR.

♪♪

WHEN WE LOOK AT DARREN'S
SLOW-MOTION CAMERA WORK,

WE CAN SEE WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON.

GAS BUILDS UP INSIDE THE CONTAINER

WITH NOWHERE TO GO.

SINCE THE LID IS THE WEAKEST POINT,

THAT'S WHY THE BOTTLE POPS
OFF, LEAVING THE LID BEHIND,

AND DISPLAYING SOME IMPRESSIVE THRUST.

WHAT DID Y'ALL THINK? IT'S
QUITE INTERESTING TO WATCH.

I WISH I COULD'VE BEEN, LIKE, RIGHT THERE

UNDERNEATH THE TABLE DURING IT, THOUGH.

YEAH, THAT WOULD BE
KIND OF FUN. IT WOULD BE.

IT WAS CRAZY. IT ALL CAME UP AT ONCE.

YEAH, YOU CAN'T REALLY TIME TOO MUCH.

- IT WAS AN EXPLOSION.
- YEAH, WELL, THAT'S WHAT IT IS.

IT'S A RELEASE OF A LOT OF
PRESSURE REALLY, REALLY QUICKLY.

SO, WE HAVE A LITTLE
TEENY-TINY ANTACID ROCKET,

BUT A LOT OF THEM.

-THANK Y'ALL... -WHOO!

SHUT UP! THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH

FOR LETTING US INVADE THIS PLACE

AND SHOW YOU GUYS A
LITTLE BIT OF SCIENCE TODAY.

-THANK YOU, GUYS. -WHOO!

NOW DARREN AND I ARE
HEADING BACK TO HOME BASE

TO EXPLORE MORE HOMEMADE ROCKETS.

SO, I WAS THINKING ABOUT ROCKETS.

YEAH? AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT WAN HU.

- YOU KNOW WAN HU?
- I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF WAN HU,

- BUT THAT'S AN AWESOME NAME.
- WAN HU, SUPPOSEDLY,

IN LIKE 16th-CENTURY CHINA,
MADE A WICKER CHAIR ROCKET

THAT HE WAS GOING TO
USE TO FLY TO THE MOON.

AND IT HAD A COUPLE
OF KITES ATTACHED TO IT.

AND IT HAD 47 ROCKETS THAT WERE SUPPOSED

TO GIVE HIM ENOUGH LIFT TO GET TO THE MOON.

I THINK I GET WHERE THIS IS GOING.

WELL, MAYBE. SO, HE HAD
A BUNCH OF ASSISTANTS

RUN TOWARD HIM WITH TORCHES
AND LIGHT 'EM ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

AND THEN EVERYBODY GOT ENGULFED

IN A BIG, YOU KNOW, BURST OF FLAME.

YEAH, OF COURSE.

AND WE DON'T KNOW IF WAN
HU MADE IT TO THE MOON OR NOT.

WELL, I THINK WE CAN PROBABLY SAFELY SAY

HE DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE MOON.

I GUESS. I'M NOT WILLING TO
MAKE THAT BOLD OF A CLAIM,

BUT FINE. ASSUMING HE DIDN'T.

BUT WE COULD REALLY MAKE ROCKETS
OUT OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT STUFF.

OKAY.

IN 1903, RUSSIAN SCIENTIST
KONSTANTIN TSIOLKOVSKY

DEVELOPED A ROCKET
EQUATION THAT IS THE BASIS

OF MOST SPACECRAFT ENGINEERING DONE TODAY.

I WANT TO TAKE HIS FINDINGS
AND SEE IF WE CAN USE THEM

TO CREATE HOMEMADE ROCKETS

USING EVERYDAY ITEMS LIKE
BAKING SODA AND VINEGAR.

TSIOLKOVSKY SAID THAT THE SPEED

AND THE RANGE OF A ROCKET

IS LIMITED ONLY BY THE VELOCITY

-OF THE ESCAPING GASES. -OKAY.

ALL WE NEED TO DO IS PRESSURIZE THE GAS

THAT WE'RE GONNA CREATE USING THIS REACTION

-OF BAKING SODA AND THE VINEGAR. -OKAY.

AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE
TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF...

- A LITTLE BIT OF A POP?
- ...PROPULSION. YEAH.

TO SEE IF THIS WILL WORK,

I'M COMBINING BAKING SODA WITH VINEGAR.

I'M GOING TO POUR. SO, AS SOON AS I POUR,

YOU PUT THAT STOPPER ON NICE AND TIGHT,

AND WE'LL FLIP IT AROUND. OKAY, READY?

-SOUNDS GOOD. -OKAY, ONE, TWO, THREE.

Delaney: WE'RE TAKING
SCIENCE TO THE STREETS,

BUILDING ALL KINDS OF HOMEMADE ROCKETS.

RIGHT NOW, WE'RE FINDING
OUT WHAT KIND OF THRUST

WE CAN GET FROM BAKING SODA AND VINEGAR

WHEN COMBINED IN A PLASTIC SODA BOTTLE.

ONE, TWO, THREE.

OH!

THAT WAS A GOOD ONE.

♪♪

WHEN WE MIX BAKING SODA WITH VINEGAR,

THE REACTION MAKES CARBONIC ACID,

WHICH BREAKS DOWN INTO
CARBON DIOXIDE GAS AND WATER.

THE GAS LEAVES THE WATER,
CREATING BUBBLES AND FOAM.

SO NOW, WHEN WE COMBINE
VINEGAR AND BAKING SODA

IN OUR BOTTLE ROCKET AND SEAL OFF THE TOP,

THE CARBON DIOXIDE GAS CAN'T ESCAPE.

IT BUILDS RAPIDLY IN THE BOTTLE

UNTIL THE TOP CAN NO
LONGER CONTAIN THE PRESSURE.

THE TOP AND CONTENTS EXPLODE DOWNWARD

THROUGH THE OPENING AND
SHOOT THE BOTTLE UPWARD.

-NOT BAD, NOT BAD. -YEAH.

BUT I THINK WE CAN DO A
LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN THAT.

-YEAH? -YEAH.

TO GO BIGGER, WE CAN USE A
MORE POWERFUL PROPELLANT

SUCH AS ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL,

COMMONLY KNOWN AS RUBBING ALCOHOL.

SO, NOW WE HAVE SOME ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL.

I GOTCHA.

SO, I'M GONNA POUR JUST A SMALL AMOUNT.

OKAY, YOU GONNA SHAKE THIS UP?

I'M NOT GONNA QUITE
SHAKE IT UP. OKAY, SO, UH...

I WANT TO COAT THE INSIDE EVENLY.

OH, I GET IT. SO YOU WANT TO HAVE BASICALLY

AS MUCH SURFACE AREA AS
POSSIBLE COVERED BY THE LIQUID.

YEAH.

ALL WE WANT TO DO IS
KIND OF GIVES THOSE FUMES

A LITTLE BIT OF A SPARK...

-AH! -...SO WE CAN REALLY,

LIKE, PUSH THEM OUT THE OTHER
END SO WE CAN GET THAT SPEED.

I'D LOVE TO DO THAT. LET'S GIVE IT A SHOT.

-I HAVE THIS BARBECUE STARTER. -ALL RIGHT.

JUST CREATES A LITTLE
SPARK AT THE END THERE?

-RIGHT. -ALL RIGHT, LET'S SEE THIS.

AND NOW, WHEN I HIT THIS BUTTON,

IT SHOULD SPARK ENOUGH
TO SHOOT OUR BOTTLE OFF.

I'M READY TO GIVE THIS A
SHOT WHENEVER YOU ARE.

ALL RIGHT, COOL.

IN THREE, TWO, AND GO.

WHOO-HOO!

THAT'S THE FARTHEST YET.

♪♪

A CLOSER LOOK REVEALS

THAT AS THE FLAME RISES
UP THROUGH THE NOZZLE,

THE MIXTURE IGNITES.

A CHEMICAL REACTION
OCCURS INSIDE THE BOTTLE,

WHICH CONVERTS THE ALCOHOL AND THE OXYGEN

INTO CARBON DIOXIDE, WATER, AND HEAT.

THE HEATING OF THE EXHAUST GASES

PRODUCES HIGH PRESSURE INSIDE THE BOTTLE.

THE GAS IS PUSHED OUT OF THE BOTTLE,

AND THIS PRODUCES THRUST.

THAT WAS IMPRESSIVE. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD

DEFINITELY TRY THIS ON A LARGER SCALE.

WELL, I HAVE A FRIEND
WHO'S A ROCKET SCIENTIST.

MAYBE HE CAN HELP US OUT.

DARREN AND I ARE HEADING TO CLEGG SOD FARM,

HOME OF THE NORTHEAST
FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF ROCKETRY.

IT'S THE PERFECT ROCKET-TESTING LAUNCH PAD.

I'M MEETING UP WITH MY GOOD FRIEND

AND AEORSPACE ENGINEER, MYRON FLETCHER,

WHO HAS SOME BIG IDEAS FOR FUEL SOURCES

THAT COULD HELP US TAKE OUR
HOMEMADE ROCKETS EVEN HIGHER.

WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT TYPES

AND SIZES OF ROCKETS HERE TODAY. UH-HUH.

BUT I OVERHEARD SOMEONE SAY LIQUID OXYGEN.

- LIQUID OXYGEN.
- IS LIQUID OXYGEN A GOOD IDEA

TO USE FOR A MODEL ROCKET?

THAT'S ACTUALLY THE BEST
IDEA TO USE FOR A MODEL ROCKET.

REALLY? THAT SOUNDS TERRIFYING TO ME.

SO, A ROCKET CONSISTS OF TWO THINGS, RIGHT?

YOU HAVE THE FUEL AND THE OXIDIZER.

-YEAH. -AND, SO, A FUEL CAN BE ANYTHING

FROM HYDROGEN TO KITTY LITTER

TO PVC TO SUGAR.

YOU NAME IT. IT CAN BE ANYTHING.

AND SO, WHAT YOU DO IS
ONCE YOU HAVE THAT OXIDIZER...

AND FOR INSTANCE, SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM,

THE LARGEST ROCKET IN
THE WORLD, 321 FEET TALL...

I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE
BIGGER THAN A MODEL ROCKET.

SO, YOU USE THE LIQUID OXYGEN
TO COMBINE WITH THE HYDROGEN.

AND WHEN THEY COMBINE, YOU'RE
GOING TO NEWTON'S THIRD LAW,

WHICH IS EVERY ACTION HAS AN
OPPOSITE OR EQUAL REACTION.

AND SO, EVERYTHING THEY'RE
FLYING OUT HERE TODAY

IS JUST SIMPLIFYING NEWTON'S THIRD LAW.

♪♪

Delaney: INSTEAD OF USING
LIQUID OXYGEN AS AN OXIDIZER,

WE'RE USING WATER TO ACT LIKE AN OXIDIZER

SINCE IT HAS TO BE ADDED
FOR THE REACTION TO HAPPEN.

SO, MYRON IS GOING TO FACE OFF

WITH OUR OWN AEROSPACE
ENGINEER NICK HOUSEHOLDER

TO SEE WHO CAN SHOOT
THEIR ROCKET THE FURTHEST.

IT'S ROCKET SCIENTIST
VERSUS ROCKET SCIENTIST.

OUR BUILDER, CHRIS,

IS LOADING UP THE BOTTLES
INTO THE LAUNCH TUBE

AND FILLING THEM UP WITH WATER.

ALL RIGHT.

HE THEN ADDS THE LIQUID
NITROGEN TO THE PAYLOAD.

-HERE WE GO. -HERE GOES NOTHING.

-WHOA! -THERE YOU GO.

ALL RIGHT.

-WHOO! -[ LAUGHS ]

DARREN'S HIGH-SPEED CAMERA
SHOWS THIS DRAMATIC REACTION.

WHEN THE BOTTLE IS TURNED OVER,

THE LIQUID NITROGEN EXPANDS VERY QUICKLY

ON TOP OF THE WARMER WATER,
TURNING RAPIDLY INTO GAS.

THIS PROPELS THE BOTTLE TO 112 FEET.

CONGRATULATIONS, MYRON.

-THANK YOU, SIR. -YOU WERE AMAZING.

-THAT WAS AWESOME. -THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

WELL, IT WAS AN OKAY
TRY, IT WAS AN OKAY TRY.

WELL, I THINK WE DON'T
EVEN NEED TO GO FURTHER,

BECAUSE MYRON CLEARLY WON.

BUT IF YOU WANT TO
GIVE IT A SHOT, I SUPPOSE...

I NEED TO DEFEND MY HONOR HERE, KEVIN.

ALL RIGHT, FINE.

HERE WE GO. AND LIQUID NITROGEN IS UP.

-ALL RIGHT, YOU READY? -YEP.

HERE WE GO.

Delaney: WE'RE AT A FLORIDA
ROCKET CLUB'S LAUNCH SITE

TO SEE JUST HOW FAR OUR LIQUID
NITROGEN BOTTLE ROCKETS CAN GO.

♪♪

-HEY! -WHOO-HOO!

I THINK THAT ONE ACTUALLY WENT FARTHER.

YEAH!

-WHOO! -WHOO!

IN COMPARING MYRON'S
ROCKET LAUNCH WITH NICK'S,

YOU CAN SEE THAT NICK'S
ROCKET GOES THE EXTRA DISTANCE

BECAUSE HE PLUGS THE
BOTTOM OF THE LAUNCH TUBE

FOR A FEW EXTRA SECONDS.

THIS CAUSES MORE PRESSURE
TO BUILD UP INSIDE THE ROCKET.

ALSO, NICK LAUNCHES HIS ROCKET

AT AN ANGLE OF 45 DEGREES

COMPARED TO MYRON'S ANGLE OF 30 DEGREES,

ALLOWING NICK'S ROCKET TO
GET MORE HEIGHT AND DISTANCE.

THAT WAS PRETTY GOOD, BUT I THINK

THAT IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHAT YOU DO.

IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF, IS THE RATIO RIGHT?

IS THE TUBE POINTED AT THE RIGHT ANGLE

TO GET THE MAXIMUM DISTANCE?

TWO AEROSPACE ENGINEERS
WALK ONTO A SOD FARM,

EACH CARRYING A BIG CANNON.

I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE PUNCH LINE.

[ BOTH LAUGH ]

-I LIKE THAT ONE, KEVIN. -YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

WHILE I WORK ON THAT PUNCH
LINE, THE ROCKETRY CLUB

IS PREPARING MORE ROCKETS
USING HOUSEHOLD ITEMS AS FUEL.

THIS TIME, WE'RE GONNA SEE
IF WE CAN POWER ROCKETS

WITH SUGAR AND PVC PIPE.

♪♪

-HI, EVERYBODY! -HI!

-HEY! -THANKS FOR HAVING US HERE.

SO, WE'RE EXPLORING ROCKETS TODAY,

AND WE THOUGHT THERE WAS
NO BETTER WAY TO DO THAT

THAN WITH ALL OF YOU AND
YOUR AWESOME ROCKETS.

YEAH. [ LAUGHTER ]

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
I THINK IS SO INTERESTING

ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT ROCKETS HERE TODAY

IS ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FUEL SOURCES.

BUT WE'RE TALKING ALTERNATIVE FUEL,

SO TODAY, WE HAVE PVC AND SUGAR,

-IS THAT RIGHT? -THAT'S RIGHT.

SO, WHICH ONE OF THOSE IS GONNA GO HIGHER?

-SUGAR. IT'S SWEETER. -SUGAR?

SUGAR IS SWEETER, THAT'S TRUE.

EH, WE'RE PULLING FOR THE PVC.

-YOU'RE PULLING FOR THE PVC. -ABSOLUTELY.

SO, WE GOT PVC, AND WE'VE GOT SUGAR,

AND I WANT TO SEE WHICH ONE FLIES HIGHER.

WE'RE TRYING OUT SOME
SURPRISING FUEL SOURCES.

ONE IS DEXTROSE, A FORM OF SUGAR.

DEXTROSE IS A SIMPLE SUGAR MADE FROM CORN.

IT'S OFTEN CONFUSED WITH
GLUCOSE, OR BLOOD SUGAR,

BECAUSE THEY'RE CHEMICALLY IDENTICAL.

THE OTHER FUEL IS PVC,
OR POLYVINYL CHLORIDE.

PVC IS COMMONLY USED IN PLUMBING,

FLOORING, AND HOUSEHOLD TRIM.

THE PVC ROCKET IS POWERED
WITH A SPECIAL GRAIN-TYPE

OF POLYVINYL CHLORIDE AS THE FUEL.

IT'S TUBE-SHAPED AND
FITS INSIDE THE ROCKET.

WHAT TAKES PLACE INSIDE IS SIMILAR

TO WHAT YOU SEE HERE IN
THIS CLEAR ACRYLIC TUBE.

PVC STARTS TO DECOMPOSE
AROUND 285 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,

SO A REALLY HOT FIRE WILL
HEAT THE PVC PIPE VERY QUICKLY.

ALL RIGHT, RICK. SO, WE GOT PVC?

PVC, NITROUS OXIDE.

AND THIS IS THE INAUGURAL FLIGHT, RIGHT?

IT IS. BRAND NEW ROCKET,
READY TO ROCK AND ROLL.

LET'S SEE HOW IT GOES.

ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA
FILL THE NITROUS TANK.

ALL RIGHT.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR A VENT.

THERE'S THE VENT.

THREE, TWO, ONE.

-UH-OH. -OOH.

KIND OF FLIPPED THERE.

YEAH, KEVIN, IT WAS A MISFIRE.

DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE FUEL.

WE'RE GONNA GO SEE WHY
AND WHAT... WE HAD A PROBLEM

WITH THE HOSE COMING LOOSE OR SOMETHING.

WE'LL GET IT FIXED, AND
WE'LL GET IT IN THE AIR.

SOUNDS GOOD.

RICK AND HIS TEAM DISCOVER A
BAD CONNECTION WITH A HOSE,

AND IT WAS INDEED
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MISFIRE.

AFTER A QUICK RESET, WE'RE
READY TO TRY THIS AGAIN.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S FIRE IT OFF.

ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GONNA FILL THE TANK.

THERE'S THE VENTING. THREE, TWO, ONE.

Delaney: WE'RE AT A LOCAL ROCKET CLUB

WHERE OUR TEAM IS TESTING OUT ROCKETS

USING FUELS YOU'D NEVER EXPECT.

FIRST UP, NITROUS OXIDE AND PVC PIPE.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S FIRE IT OFF.

ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GONNA FILL THE TANK.

THERE'S THE VENTING. THREE, TWO, ONE.

THERE WE GO!

WE GOT IT OFF THE GROUND.

♪♪

-ALL RIGHT. -THERE WE GO.

AND WE GOT A PARACHUTE.

Man: BEAUTIFUL.

Delaney: HERE'S HOW THIS PVC ROCKET WORKS.

THE HOT EXPANDING GAS
CREATED BY THE COMBUSTION

OF THE PVC PIPE MATERIAL EXITS THE NOZZLE,

PROVIDING THRUST TO THE ROCKET.

THE CHEMICAL REACTION IS ENERGETIC ENOUGH

TO MAINTAIN THRUST,

ALLOWING THE ROCKET TO TRAVEL TO 935 FEET.

- SO, HOW DID THAT GO, PVC?
- ALL RIGHT, IT WENT UP.

ALL RIGHT! NOT BAD.

WAIT A SECOND, WAIT A
SECOND, WAIT A SECOND.

YOU WERE ON THE SUGAR
TEAM JUST A MINUTE AGO.

ARE YOU TRYING TO PLAY BOTH SIDES?

-YOU GOT ME. -THAT'S CROOKED ROCKETRY.

AND NOT IN THE WAY THAT
THE ROCKETS GO LIKE THIS.

-YOU BETCHA! -YOU DOUBLE-DIPPER!

[ LAUGHTER ]

Delaney: WHEN WE MIX PVC, THE FUEL,

AND NITROUS OXIDE, THE OXIDIZER,

WE CREATE A CHEMICAL
REACTION OF EXPANDING GAS.

THIS RAPID EXPANSION
CREATES THRUST AND MOMENTUM.

BUT WHAT REALLY MAKES
THIS ROCKET UNIQUE IS THE PVC.

IT SERVES AS THE INNER CASING OF THE ROCKET

IN ADDITION TO THE FUEL ITSELF.

AS THE ROCKET ASCENDS, THE
PVC PIPE IS CONSUMED AS FUEL,

LIGHTENING THE PAYLOAD
AND SUSTAINING THRUST.

SO, DO Y'ALL THINK THAT HAD THE ENERGY

TO BEAT THE SUGAR ROCKET?

- WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT, RIGHT?
- YEAH, WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW IT'S TIME FOR JIMMY'S
DEXTROSE-FUELED ROCKET

TO SHOW US WHAT IT CAN DO.

ALL RIGHT, TEAM SUGAR, ARE YOU READY?

-READY! -YEAH!

-JIMMY, ARE YOU READY? -I'M READY!

ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO!

GOING IN THREE, TWO, ONE, IGNITION.

-WOW. -YAY!

-THAT WAS AWESOME. -IT'S A SUGAR RUSH.

[ LAUGHTER ] INDEED.

Delaney: SUGAR'S A GREAT FUEL

BECAUSE IT HAS SO MUCH HYDROGEN IN IT.

WHEN IT REACTS WITH THE OXIDIZER,

POTASSIUM NITRATE,

IT GENERATES AN ENERGETIC REACTION

IN THE FORM OF AN EXPANDING GAS.

THE GAS SHOOTS OUT OF THE ROCKET NOZZLE

AND PROVIDES UPWARD THRUST FOR THE ROCKET.

-OH, I SEE IT. -WHERE?

- THERE IT IS.
- OH, THERE IT IS, RAINING DOWN.

WHILE OUR ROCKETEERS
COLLECT THEIR ALTIMETERS

THAT RECORDED THE FLIGHT DATA,

DARREN AND I REVIEW THE SLOW-MOTION SHOTS

OF EACH LAUNCH.

♪♪

SO, HAVE YOU PICKED UP
ANYTHING ON THE HIGH-SPEED

THAT MY WEAK HUMAN EYES HAVE MISSED?

YEAH, THE SUGAR ROCKET ESPECIALLY.

THE SUGAR ROCKET... WHEN IT EXPLODED,

IT SENT SPARKS EVERYWHERE.

AND THEY ACTUALLY HAVE,
LIKE, A REALLY COOL IMPACT

WHERE IT'S KIND OF
DOWNWARD AND THEN OUTWARD,

KIND OF MUSHROOM CLOUD UPSIDE-DOWN.

WHEN WE WATCH THEM SIDE BY SIDE,

IT'S APPARENT THAT THE
SUGAR ROCKET ON THE RIGHT

HAS MUCH MORE ENERGETIC COMBUSTION,

CREATING MORE THRUST THAN THE PVC ROCKET.

ALL RIGHT EVERYBODY, THE RESULTS ARE IN.

THE PVC ROCKET FLEW AROUND 935 FEET,

AND THE SUGAR ROCKET
FLEW AROUND 3,177 FEET.

SO, SUGAR IS THE WINNER TODAY.

SO, GOOD JOB.

-ALL RIGHT! -YAY!