Name Rocket Launch READ ME FIRST (I m An Introduction) Date During the next two days, you will be constructing a rocket and launching it in order to investigate projectile motion. The lab will be divided into two days. During the first day, you and your group will construct your rocket. We will be talking about different aspects of engineering design that you can use in the creation of your rocket. On the second day, we will be going outside and launching each group s rocket. You will take data on the launch, and then there will be several calculations to complete at the end of the lab. Finally, you will draw conclusions about your overall design based on the success of your launch. SUPPLIES The following is a list of supplies that you and your group will need to construct and launch your rocket. Day 1 (Rocket Construction) One (1) 2-liter bottle Cardboard Duct tape Clear packing tape Scissors Other material(s) you choose to use in your rocket construction Day 2 (Rocket Launch) Your rocket Launching device Angle measuring device Tape measure Stopwatch Caution: The launching device creates a pressure of 75psi in the rocket. It could explode, so it s important to stand clear (20-30 feet back) of the launching device at all times. YOUR GROUP Record the names of the other members in your group. 2) 3) 4) 1
Day 1 Activities Rocket Construction ENGINEERING DESIGN PRINCIPLES Before you begin rocket construction, let s talk about some different engineering design principles that you ll need to think about when constructing your rocket. Wings and Fins Most of the time, wings and fins are used for stabilization during the flight of an object. Think about a hand glider. What would happen to it if it didn t have the wings? Rounded Corners What makes something more aerodynamic? Do sharp, boxy edges make something more aerodynamic, or do sleek, curved lines help reduce wind resistance on an object? Think about how new cars compare to older models. Given that we know more about drag and aerodynamic design now, how will you incorporate this into your rocket? Nose Cone On every rocket, plane, and space shuttle you see, you ll find a nose cone. This cone is basically just a point on the top of the rocket. Like rounded corners, the nose cone reduces wind resistance. Since it s at the top of the rocket, this helps the rocket fly higher and straighter than it would with a flat nose. Think about how you could design a nose cone for your rocket. Aesthetics In the real world, aesthetics of an object matter. It s hard to get funding for something that looks like it will fail, and you should keep this in mind when designing your rocket. Pretend that you re making a scale model of something that could be in production for NASA. You want the money, so you had better make it look nice. Weight If an object is too heavy, it will never leave the ground. It s a simple concept, but pay attention to the weight you re adding to your rocket when you attach materials. Also, pay 2
Day 1 Activities Rocket Construction Now you re ready to begin your rocket design and construction! Use the blank space on this page to draw a rough sketch (it doesn t have to be anything fancy) before you begin construction. Make sure to pay attention to the grading rubric while you re designing and constructing your rocket. You will be grading yourself against this rubric when you finish. ROCKET DESIGN 3
Day 1 Activities Rocket Construction After you and your team have finished the construction of your rocket, you need to grade yourself against the grading rubric (found on the next-to-last page of this packet). Look at the sections for Participation and Design, and assign yourself a value from 4 (the highest) to 0 (the lowest). Use the grading rubric to determine what value you should get. Also, write a brief explanation of why you deserve that particular grade. You should only have grades (values) from 0 to 4 - no other numbers. I will also be grading you on this rubric, and I will take the grade you gave yourself into consideration when grading your labs. (Leave the Rocket Launch section blank for now. We ll do that tomorrow.) Section Grade (Value) Why? Participation Design Rocket Launch 4
Day 2 Activities Rocket Launch It s time to launch your rocket! The launch pad will already be set-up for you, but when it s time for you to launch your rocket, you will need the following items: Your rocket Angle measurement device Stopwatch Tape measure For groups of four, each member will have a job. If you have a smaller group, some members will have to do two jobs. Record which members of your group are assigned to which job. JOB DESCRIPTION GROUP MEMBER Launcher Distance Measurer Angle Measurer Timer Responsible for operating the air pump and launching the rocket Use the tape measure to measure how far the rocket traveled from the launch pad Use the angle measurement device to read the angle of the rocket when it reaches the apex (highest point) of its flight Use the stopwatch to time the length of the entire flight 5
Day 2 Activities Rocket Launch Use the diagram below to record your measurements during the rocket launch. The table tells you what each variable means, and it tells you if it s a measured quantity or a calculated quantity. VARIABLE WHAT IT IS MEASURED / CALCULATED h p Height of the person using the angle measuring device Measured h m Height of the triangle shown in the diagram Calculated θ d p Angle from person using the angle measuring device to the rocket at its apex Distance from the person using the angle measuring device to the rocket launch pad Measured Measured d x Total horizontal distance of the rockets flight Measured d y Vertical height achieved by the rocket Calculated θ L Angle at which the rocket was launched Calculated t Total time the rocket was in flight Measured t = Apex of flight h m = d y = h p = θ = θ L = d p = d x = Launch pad 6
Day 2 Activities Calculations (Basic) Now that you have your data, let s work on the calculations. Make sure to go back to Page 4 and grade yourself on the launch of your rocket! Do that now. CALCULATION OF h m Since you know the triangle is a right triangle, use your trig rules to calculate h m. Since you know θ and can calculate the base of the triangle, you can find h m. Show you work below, then record the value on your picture. Hint: To find the length of the base of the triangle, you need to add d p to something...maybe half of something you measured... CALCULATION OF d y You can now find d y (the maximum height reached by the rocket). Show you work below, then record the value on your picture. 7
Day 2 Activities Calculations (Vectors) Remember vectors? Well, they re back! v y v x THE HORIZONTAL COMPONENT (v x ) The formula for the horizontal vector component is below. Use it to calculate v x. v x = d t x THE VERTICAL COMPONENT (v y ) The formula for the vertical vector component is below. Use it to calculate v y. Remember that g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s 2 or 32.0 ft/s 2 ). v y d = y 1 1 g t 2 2 1 t 2 2 8
Day 2 Activities Calculations (Vectors) v y v x Now use vector addition (and the picture below) to find v (the launch vector of the rocket). Notice how v y has been moved to the head of v x (allowing you to do head-to-tail vector analysis). Hint: It s a right triangle, so you know what to do to find v... v v y θ L v x Now calculate the launch angle, θ L, using the formula below. v y θ = L tan 1 1 v 2 x 9
Day 2 Activities Think About Some Things In order to use the formulas you used to calculate d y and d x, you had to make some assumptions about the experiment. List some (two or more) of the assumptions that you made. Hint: Think about how the flight path looks. What shape is it? Your rocket design contributed heavily to how well your rocket flew. List some good things about your design (things that helped your rocket fly well). List some things about your design you would improve if you were to do this experiment again. 10
4 Excellent (10 pts) 3 Good (7 pts) Participated in the construction of the rocket some Worked with the rest of the group as a team 2 Mediocre (4 pts) 1 Poor (2 pts) 0 Participation Actively involved in the construction of the rocket Worked with the rest of the group as a team Participated in some of the construction of the rocket, but was off-task Worked with the rest of the group some Didn t actively participate in the construction of the rocket and was often off-task Didn t work well with the rest of the group Incomplete Design Incorporated all engineering design principles (wings, nose cone, rounded edges, etc.) into the rocket design Paid attention to aesthetics High creativity (used materials in unique ways or used uncommon materials) Incorporated all engineering design principles (wings, nose cone, rounded edges, etc.) into the rocket design Some attention to aesthetics Some creativity Some engineering design principles used in the rocket design No attention to aesthetics Some creativity Little to no engineering design principles used in the rocket design No attention to aesthetics No attempt at creativity Incomplete Rocket Launch Successful launch (displays parabolic trajectory) Successful launch (no parabolic trajectory) Unsuccessful launch due to unforeseeable events (not due to poor design) All work shown Correct equations used Some incorrect answers due to math mistakes Proper significant digits Unsuccessful launch due to poor construction (rocket stuck to launcher or blew-up on launch pad) Unsuccessful launch due to poor design (rocket stuck to launcher or blew-up on launch pad) Incomplete Calculations All work shown Correct equations used Correct answers Proper significant digits Some work shown Some incorrect equations used or equations used incorrectly Incorrect answers Some answers are not to proper significant digits Little to no work shown Many incorrect equations used Many incorrect answers Little to no answers are to proper significant digits Incomplete Physics Concepts Able to correctly identify and use physics concepts Able to correctly interpret results of launch Able to correctly draw conclusions based on the rocket design Able to correctly identify and use physics concepts Able to correctly interpret most results of the launch Able to correctly draw conclusions based on the rocket design Able to correctly identify and use some physics concepts Able to correctly interpret some results of the launch Able to draw some conclusions based on the rocket design Able to identify and use little or no physics concepts Not able to correctly interpret the results of the launch Not able to draw conclusions based on the rocket design Incomplete ROCKET LAUNCH GRADING RUBRIC
GRADE SHEET Below is a breakdown of your grade for this lab. Notice that I have included the grade you assigned to yourself for comparison. Don t write anything on this sheet! Section Grade You Gave Yourself Your Actual Grade Participation Design Rocket Launch Calculations Physics Concepts Final Grade (out of 50) 11
Please complete the following questions. Activity Feedback Do not write your name anywhere on this sheet. Your answers to these questions do not affect your grade and will not be associated with your name in any way. What did you like the most about today s activity? What did you like the least about today s activity? How interested are you in engineering? (circle one) Very Interested Somewhat Interested No Interest At All Not Sure How has this activity affected your interest in engineering? (circle one) Increased No Change Decreased How much did you learn today? (circle one) A Lot Some (Little) Nothing New Did this activity make you feel more confident about learning science? (circle one) Definitely Some No Not Sure How do you feel about the following statement: The STEP Fellow helped me to understand the lesson in a positive and meaningful way. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 12