Match Rocket

I've had a blast launching different types of rockets with my daughters.  You've seen several rocket related posts on this blog.  You can imagine my excitement when I saw a short article in Popular Science magazine outlining a procedure to create a rocket out of a simply match.

The procedure is very simple.  Take a match, place a pin, or small nail adjacent to the match such that the point touches the match end.  Now wrap the match/nail end in foil. See image below.

Now pull the nail out without disrupting the foil.  This creates a narrow channel from the match end to the bottom of the foil.  Next set the match at a 45 degree angle using a paperclip as a launching pad.  

Now take another match or a lighter of some kind and hold a flame underneath the foil covered end.  This will eventually cause the match tip inside to ignite and propels the match forward...or at least it's supposed to according to the Popular Science article.  This didn't happen with our match.  When the match ignites some gas is released.  That gas must go somewhere, so it's propelled out the only opening possible, the one created by the nail you pulled out earlier.  This downward push should cause the match to propel forward.

Each time we did it, and we tried several different ways, there was a quick burst of smoke/exhaust out the end of the foil, but no launch.  The force simply wasn't large enough to launch the match into the air.  We only had one type of match at home, so it could be that a lighter match or a match with more fuel is needed.  Regardless, the smoke/exhaust that quickly emits from the foil was cool.  Give it a try.  Hopefully you do better than I do.