Baking Soda and Vinegar Locomotive

Physical Principles

This toy teaches how energy can be created from chemical reactions, and how that energy can be converted to motion.

Sketch

Use

The child fills the reaction chamber with a specified amount of baking soda, and prepares a cup with a specified amount of vinegar. The child then places the train on its track, pours in the vinegar, and shuts the valve below the filling funnel. Once the baking soda and vinegar react, the resulting gasses will power the piston just like a steam locomotive.

Production Notes

Construction cost will be fairly low, as most of the parts can be made of plastic. Durability may be an issue, as there are many moving parts involved which, if not cleaned properly, can fail. Safety is not really a problem, but younger children should have adult supervision.