Piezo Electric Alcohol Rocket Launcher (P.E.A.R.L.)

Did we just break the sound barrier?!? Introducing P.E.A.R.L., a learning media for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. P.E.A.R.L. stands for Piezo Electric Alcohol Rocket Launcher. We made it to support and promote STEM to all teachers and students around the world. It can be used to introduce topics related to thermochemistry, combustion, parabolic motion, rocket science, and sound intensity. The combustion reaction produces fire, high-pressure gas, and LIGHT! It glows brighter at night. If it gives off light, it's eligible to join The Make it Glow Contest!

You will need:

1. a lot of love for the environment and all living things!
2. safety goggles, lab coat, and gloves
3. Ear muff
4. duct tape (the ultimate solutions for all DIY problems)
5. scissors
6. soldering equipment and Tin solder wire
7. small electrical cables
8. hot melt glue gun (It's hot baby!)
9. stronger adhesive (composite of baking powder and graphite powder with super glue). You may check our experiments making super strong adhesive here.
10. PVC water pipe 100 cm long and diameter (3-3.5 cm)
11. empty plastic water bottle (water bottle mouth size 3-3.5 cm)
12. piezoelectric lighter (not a butane lighter)
13. methanol / ethanol / spiritus / rubbing alcohol
14. optional accessories: sniper scope, laser pointer, etc.

Recycle and Reuse all materials.

In this instructables, you need to be aware of the lurking hazards when making P.E.A.R.L. Always asks guidance from parents or supervisors!

1. Sharp objects and flammable materials
2. Explosive sounds
3. Strong and fast projectiles
4. Use it in an open area / space, like a park, a garden, or a soccer field
5. Always inform people in your surrounding that you are doing an experiment and ask permission from the security / lab technician / teachers

We are inspired by the Pearl Harbor Survivors, The veterans. We made P.E.A.R.L. to honor their fighting spirits coming out of dark moments. This is the main objective of our project, building P.E.A.R.L. Each year on Dec. 7, we commemorate, honor, and remember the 2,403 service members and civilians who were killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Please also check the details in this official website.

Open the piezoelectric lighter

Using soldering equipment, carefully solder with longer wires.

Glue and duct tape the trigger onto the pipe. You must use a stronger adhesive, like superglue, or our composite super adhesive (we have another project making composite super adhesive, check our project here)

Carefully, put the two wires inside the pipe from the back to the muzzle. Let the wires pocking out about 1 cm and seal tight the muzzle using the hot melt glue gun. Make sure there is no hole in the muzzle. This is important! Check and re-check everything. You supposedly have a spark between the two wires, when you trigger the piezo.

The launch pad is important! It serves two purposes

1. to protect your face or eyes from the residual alcohol vapor
2. to make sure the water bottle (projectile) go further about 15-20 meter

To make the launch pad, you will need to cut open an empty water bottle. and attach it to the muzzle like the picture. Duct tape the outside and inside. Make sure it is tight.

To use P.E.A.R.L. you will need to measure around 2 mL of methanol / ethanol / spiritus / rubbing alcohol and put it inside an empty plastic water bottle. Shake it around! Make sure all surface inside the bottle is covered. You need just the alcohol vapor. Introduce fresh oxygen gently shaking the bottle up and down. Now, the bottle is covered with fuel. Put it into the muzzle. It is ready to go!

You can also learn & relate with firearms safety rule, like:

1. Always points the muzzle at a safe place
2. Always points the P.E.A.R.L. away from yourself or another person.
3. Finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
4. Always keep your finger off the trigger and outside the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.
5. Be aware of the recoil. P.E.A.R.L. has a kickback.

You can make measurements, such as:

1. The distance of the projectile
2. The angle and movement of the projectile (you can record a slow-motion video and analyze it)
3. In a dark room / at night, a slowmo video will reveal the propagation of the flame, you can see how the ignition starts
4. The speed of the projectile by measuring the frame rate of the recording
5. Manipulate the variables, and observe what will happen, make prediction / hypothesis

Okay, you are officially-a rocket scientist! You might end up in NASA, or SpaceX.

If you use P.E.A.R.L in the science fair, prepare for long queue in your booth. P.E.A.R.L attracts people. They will definitely want to try it. Last time in our science fair, we have more than 150 participants using P.E.A.R.L. After that, the participants were asked to fill a survey about STEM Education.

What an Amazing Tool for STEM! This saves a lot of time explaining how the design works to beginners. We ended up drawing P.E.A.R.L. back from the sketch board again in Tinkercad. We might have another prototype here. This opens new opportunity for new projects. Thank you Tinkercad! User-friendly, support 3D printer, code blocks, microcontroller, and it's free! Wonderful community!

Making P.E.A.R.L. allows you to learn many things, not only hard skills but also soft skills. Remember to always obey your parents and teachers.

Special thanks to

• All my students in STEM Education (carilah 1001 alasan untuk berbaik sangka niscaya hati menjadi tenang, carilah ridho dan doa guru-mu dengan sikap yang baik, agar keberkahan & kesuksesan menyertaimu)
• Contributors (Ms. Lie Miah & Mr. David Tan)
• Chemistry Department (Ms. Lie Miah, Ms. Dwi Endah Prasetya Rini, Ms. Anthea Calista, & Mr. Noviyanto Suhardi)
• SPK SMAK PENABUR Kelapa Gading (Principal, Bobby Aprianto, S.Kom., M.Pd.)
• Our STEM mentors (Dr. Maria Paristiowati, M.Si.,Dr. Irwanto,S.PD.,M.Pd., Uga Patriajasa, M.Pd.)