Intro
During this project we constructed and launched a bottle rocket in order to investigate projectile motion. Projectile motion is the motion of an object thrown or projected into the air, subject to only the acceleration of gravity. The object is called a projectile, and its path is called its trajectory.
Design Consideration
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.
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.
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.
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.
My Design
The first step in this project was to construct my rocket. For a successful launch, we assumed that the rocket would not go straight up—factoring in Newton's 1st law of motion, air resistance, and wind. The rocket was bound to follow a parabola curve. For my group's bottle, we went with a design that would result in the least drag and the most lift. With this in mind, we designed a parabolic cone. According to areospaceweb.org, this design will result in the least amount of drag compared to an ogive or cone shape. As we move down the rocket, we have placed three fins rather than the famous four wings. This was done in light of the increased drag of 4 fins, despite its increased stability, according to therocketryforum.com. As we move to the bottom of the rocket, it has a cylindrical extension to streamline the rocket's body.
For a successful launch, the design was made with 3 Fins to minimize drag and add stability. The rocket also had a streamlined shape to make it as aerodynamic as possible. The LaunchAfter the construction of everyone's rockets was complete, we launched them with pressurized air on the school field.
Trigonometric CalculationsWith an understanding of trigonometry from my pre-calculus course, we calculated the height of the bottle rocket from the perspective of a primary viewer, hm, therefore the vertical height achieved by the rocket. After these values were calculated, we shifted over to an understanding of physics to calculate initial velocity, yy, from the final position equation, Final Position = (initial velocity) x (time) – (0.5)(32)(time)^(2). Based on this formula, we were able to calculate the initial velocity to be 112 meters per second.
After we obtained all measured and calculated values, we were able to successfully graph our bottle rocket's motion on a velocity x time graph. |
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