Physics Rocket Project
This semester, we had to create a rocket with a partner that could reach max height and land on the ground nicely. It was a hard project, but I completed it. I had to create a poster and a write up which covered all my challenges and data for this project.
Rocket Blueprint
These are pictures of my blueprint. I made sure to measure my rocket and divide those numbers by 2 so I could fit it on paper. These measurements were very accurate.
Rocket Pictures
Here are pictures of my rocket. I am very proud of it because of the flower and bee designs on it. It flew about 251 feet, that was the max height.
Cover Letter
Arianna Dobeck
Julian Springer
Physics
2 December 2023
Cover Letter
This project was about building a rocket. When the common person thinks about a rocket, they think of the large system capable of space travel. This rocket was much more simple then that. We had to use plastic bottles and knowledge to create a rocket that could reach max height and then go back to the ground nicely. We were suppose to discuss physics behind water bottle rocket launch using the engineering design process. We first asked what we could do to make this rocket deploy well. Then we researched how to make a good backslider and how to make the rocket go well without breaking or leaking. I made sure to imagine what I wanted the rocket to look like in my head. This is the blueprint phase. My partner and I then started planning out how we were going to build our rocket. We made a blueprint that planned how the rocket would work. We then created a prototype which had some setbacks, but it pushed us to make an even better one. We tested it, which worked well. We had to improve our rocket design because of leaks and how it looked. Which led us back on to asking for help. The purpose of the Engineering design process is to find the solution to a problem
Velocity is the change of postion over time, and it can be seen as the slope of a point on a trajectory curve. Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity. We use those together to define the trajectory of the rocket. A quadratic function is a + bx + cx^(2). When we use a quadratic; we use position as a, velocity as bx, and acceleration as cx^(2). When using a rocket, you need these quantities to figure out the rocket’s flight. To define the position of the rocket, you need the initial position of the rocket + the amount of velocity + the amount of acceleration the rocket has.
When using a rocket, we also need to use free fall which is related to gs. Gs is acceleration due to gravity towards the center of the Earth. It is what causes free fall in the absence of any propulsion. An example of this is in a giant testing chamber where a bowling ball and a feather are dropped at the same time. The bowling ball hits the ground before the feather in the first experiment because it weighs more. Until, the scientists create a vacuum by taking all the air out of the chamber, the feather and the bowling ball then hit the ground at the exact same time. They accelerate at the same rate due to gravity. This relates to rockets because gravity affects how the rocket falls back to Earth from being above the Earth. When using a rocket, it has the Earth’s surface as the frame of reference.
Inertia is the tendency of a object at rest to remain at rest and an object in motion to remain in motion. This is newton’s first law which is the law of Inertia. It states that if a body is at rest or moving at a constant speed in a straight line, it will remain at rest or keep moving in a straight line at constant speed unless it is acted upon by a force. Net force is the combination of all forces acting on a body. Netforce Equalibrium is when all forces balance, it does not cause the object to move. Another force is called, normal force where an object acts perpendicular to the surface of motion.
According to Newton’s laws, Friction is the resistance to movement of 2 bodies in contact. Drag is also the resistance to motion of a body in air. When a rocket takes off, it goes through the air and the air slows it down. The faster it goes, the more drag there is.
In Newton’s second Law, Force = Mass x Acceleration. The weight of an object is directly proportional to its mass. This means that if you apply force to a weight it will accelerate. Mass is equal to weight divided by acceleration. When using a rocket, the exhaust gas from the engine is pushed out of the rocket, which is the action. This generates thrust, which is the reaction. Another example of action and reaction is when the launcher of the rocket reacts to the rocket taking off. The launcher will react by recoling, almost like when a gun is shot and the person shooting gets pushed back. This is similar to Newton’s third law which is the law of action and reaction. When two bodies interact, they apply forces to one another that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. When using a pool table, if a moving ball hits a stationary ball, the moving ball will stop and the stationary ball will move. This relates to interactions between bodies and systems.
Julian Springer
Physics
2 December 2023
Cover Letter
This project was about building a rocket. When the common person thinks about a rocket, they think of the large system capable of space travel. This rocket was much more simple then that. We had to use plastic bottles and knowledge to create a rocket that could reach max height and then go back to the ground nicely. We were suppose to discuss physics behind water bottle rocket launch using the engineering design process. We first asked what we could do to make this rocket deploy well. Then we researched how to make a good backslider and how to make the rocket go well without breaking or leaking. I made sure to imagine what I wanted the rocket to look like in my head. This is the blueprint phase. My partner and I then started planning out how we were going to build our rocket. We made a blueprint that planned how the rocket would work. We then created a prototype which had some setbacks, but it pushed us to make an even better one. We tested it, which worked well. We had to improve our rocket design because of leaks and how it looked. Which led us back on to asking for help. The purpose of the Engineering design process is to find the solution to a problem
Velocity is the change of postion over time, and it can be seen as the slope of a point on a trajectory curve. Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity. We use those together to define the trajectory of the rocket. A quadratic function is a + bx + cx^(2). When we use a quadratic; we use position as a, velocity as bx, and acceleration as cx^(2). When using a rocket, you need these quantities to figure out the rocket’s flight. To define the position of the rocket, you need the initial position of the rocket + the amount of velocity + the amount of acceleration the rocket has.
When using a rocket, we also need to use free fall which is related to gs. Gs is acceleration due to gravity towards the center of the Earth. It is what causes free fall in the absence of any propulsion. An example of this is in a giant testing chamber where a bowling ball and a feather are dropped at the same time. The bowling ball hits the ground before the feather in the first experiment because it weighs more. Until, the scientists create a vacuum by taking all the air out of the chamber, the feather and the bowling ball then hit the ground at the exact same time. They accelerate at the same rate due to gravity. This relates to rockets because gravity affects how the rocket falls back to Earth from being above the Earth. When using a rocket, it has the Earth’s surface as the frame of reference.
Inertia is the tendency of a object at rest to remain at rest and an object in motion to remain in motion. This is newton’s first law which is the law of Inertia. It states that if a body is at rest or moving at a constant speed in a straight line, it will remain at rest or keep moving in a straight line at constant speed unless it is acted upon by a force. Net force is the combination of all forces acting on a body. Netforce Equalibrium is when all forces balance, it does not cause the object to move. Another force is called, normal force where an object acts perpendicular to the surface of motion.
According to Newton’s laws, Friction is the resistance to movement of 2 bodies in contact. Drag is also the resistance to motion of a body in air. When a rocket takes off, it goes through the air and the air slows it down. The faster it goes, the more drag there is.
In Newton’s second Law, Force = Mass x Acceleration. The weight of an object is directly proportional to its mass. This means that if you apply force to a weight it will accelerate. Mass is equal to weight divided by acceleration. When using a rocket, the exhaust gas from the engine is pushed out of the rocket, which is the action. This generates thrust, which is the reaction. Another example of action and reaction is when the launcher of the rocket reacts to the rocket taking off. The launcher will react by recoling, almost like when a gun is shot and the person shooting gets pushed back. This is similar to Newton’s third law which is the law of action and reaction. When two bodies interact, they apply forces to one another that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. When using a pool table, if a moving ball hits a stationary ball, the moving ball will stop and the stationary ball will move. This relates to interactions between bodies and systems.
Discussion and Analysis
In this document, I am talking about the different free body diagrams and the forces being used during a rocket trip.
This is my reflection for my rocket project. I had to integrate my struggles creating this project and how my partner and I pushed through them. The reflection also had to talk about what I would say to the next years sophomores. The reflection was a very easy part of the write-up and I enjoyed writing it.
Reflection
Rockets are a rigorous object to build. Never would I have imagined that this rocket project would be much easier, even though their were many setbacks and hardships. Our rocket started off very sloppy and unable to be tested, due to the leak in the pressure chamber. That was a very annoying obstacle in our project. We continued to persevere even though time was slowly running out. My partner and I created a new rocket that was much prettier than the last one and would work better; or so we thought. I was sure that rocket would go well for testing and we would not have to worry about anything. I went outside to test it in the parking lot and there was another leak in the pressure chamber. I was so upset and angry, I could not understand how we kept on failing. The exhibition would be in 3 days, so it was a race against time.
My partner and I resorted to using one bottle instead of two, and we did not splice it at all. My partner accidentally poked a hole in the bottle, which was yet ANOTHER setback. I had no hope at this point, that our rocket would be successful. I felt like a failure, due to seeing all my peers succeed with their rockets and not having any difficulties with theirs. It was hard, but we were pushing through. The next day, I built our rocket fast, making sure it was secure and able to work. It was ready and so were we. It was the day of the exhibition and we had not tested our rocket shooting in the air at all yet. I was afraid it was not going to work, until it got shot and it went very high! It came down very nicely and it did not break when it hit the ground. My partner and I were so happy. All of that sweat, tears, and anger had all paid off, because our rocket did so well.
When the next years sophomores do this project, they should get straight to work on their rocket when they get assigned work time. They also should know that your first rocket is not going to be successful most of the time. The failures that occurred before the flight are critical in any rocket design. They help you learn and make your rocket better.
When I did this project, I waited till the last minute on this rocket the first time, we started it. If I did this again, I would get right to work next time and not slack off like I did at first. It was a big mistake which was the leading cause to all my other mistakes. To conclude, although their were drawbacks, I had many successes with my rocket which I am very proud of. My rocket went very high and very well, I was very proud of what my partner and I accomplished.