Tea Bag Rocket (Funky Physics Experiments)

You will need:

1. Tea bag (unused)
2. Matchsticks
3. Non-flammable surface

Display a bit of pyro techniques with this experiment and show off to your friends how an everyday object, like a tea bag, can be made into something unique.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Firstly, prepare your tea bag to become a rocket.
2. Carefully remove the staple and thread holding the tea bag together.
3. Open the tea bag completely and empty out the tea leaves. You do not require them.
4. Now flatten the tea bag out and gently rub the material so that it may be rolled
   into a cylinder.
5. Once it has resemble a tall tower, prop it on any non-flammable surface like granite top or a ceramic plate.
6. Light a matchstick and ignite the tea bag
   at the top of the cylinder.
7. Sit back and watch it work its way down

RESULT

As soon as the flame reaches the bottom, the tea bag takes off like a rocket. Once the flame is lit, the air temperature and volume inside the cylindrical tea bag begin to increase. The hot air rises to the top and cooler air settles creating a convection current which generates an upward force. And by the time the flame reaches the bottom, the material to be lifted (i.e. tea bag) has much lesser mass on account of being burned.