Topographic Map Project
Rocket Project
Rocket Reflection
Charlie Malone
The entire exhibition and rocket project was incredibly fun. The organization of the project was amazing. Mr. Heerschap did a very good job in bringing the project to its finest. The project started out with us designing our rockets and drawing up plans. We also used a rocket simulation program called Rocksim to design and test our different rocket designs. Using pop bottles and cardboard for the body and main engine parts, plexiglass for the fins, foam for the nose cone, and trash bags for the parachutes we constructed our rockets.
My partner and I were one out of the two groups that decided to make a two-stage rocket. The first stage was just one pop bottle with a stopper attached to the top. The second stage pop bottle fit onto the stopper on the first. When the first stage was pressurized on the launch pad we would put dry ice and water into the second and quickly put onto the stopper of the first stage. So when we finally went to launch the rocket at exhibition the first went off but it did not have enough power and the second stage launched off when the rocket started to fall. But we made a backup one-stage rocket that we got to launch after exhibition.
If we had the opportunity to do this project again then I would change a few things that I did. For one, I would only make on rocket and probable focus another two-stage. I wouldn’t worry about if it would work or not, I would just have fun with it and try to make it the best that it could be. If I had the opportunity to change an aspect of my rocket I would refine the fins and make them bigger and have them fit more with the rocket. Also I would make the main body smoother and have the first stage fit better with the second stage. The fact that our parachute just draped over the top to act somewhat as a nose cone was not a very good idea. When the rocket launched the parachute would fall off and cause a lot of drag. So I would change that and put the parachute into the nose cone and find a better way to deploy it. There was another group that also made a two stage rocket. They had made a device that would hold the second stage in place on top of the first stage, so when the rocket got to a certain height after launch a string would pull a pin out of the device launching the second stage off the first. This was definitely an idea that I wanted to steal. All in all, the rocket project was amazing. I totally wish we could do this project again at the end of the year.
Charlie Malone
The entire exhibition and rocket project was incredibly fun. The organization of the project was amazing. Mr. Heerschap did a very good job in bringing the project to its finest. The project started out with us designing our rockets and drawing up plans. We also used a rocket simulation program called Rocksim to design and test our different rocket designs. Using pop bottles and cardboard for the body and main engine parts, plexiglass for the fins, foam for the nose cone, and trash bags for the parachutes we constructed our rockets.
My partner and I were one out of the two groups that decided to make a two-stage rocket. The first stage was just one pop bottle with a stopper attached to the top. The second stage pop bottle fit onto the stopper on the first. When the first stage was pressurized on the launch pad we would put dry ice and water into the second and quickly put onto the stopper of the first stage. So when we finally went to launch the rocket at exhibition the first went off but it did not have enough power and the second stage launched off when the rocket started to fall. But we made a backup one-stage rocket that we got to launch after exhibition.
If we had the opportunity to do this project again then I would change a few things that I did. For one, I would only make on rocket and probable focus another two-stage. I wouldn’t worry about if it would work or not, I would just have fun with it and try to make it the best that it could be. If I had the opportunity to change an aspect of my rocket I would refine the fins and make them bigger and have them fit more with the rocket. Also I would make the main body smoother and have the first stage fit better with the second stage. The fact that our parachute just draped over the top to act somewhat as a nose cone was not a very good idea. When the rocket launched the parachute would fall off and cause a lot of drag. So I would change that and put the parachute into the nose cone and find a better way to deploy it. There was another group that also made a two stage rocket. They had made a device that would hold the second stage in place on top of the first stage, so when the rocket got to a certain height after launch a string would pull a pin out of the device launching the second stage off the first. This was definitely an idea that I wanted to steal. All in all, the rocket project was amazing. I totally wish we could do this project again at the end of the year.
Physics Behind the Rocket
Newton’s First law helped our rocket to fly. An object at rest (Rocket) will remain at rest unless acted on by an outside force (pressurized water escaping the bottle). An object in motion (rocket flying) will stay in motion unless acted on by an out-side force (gravity). This had helped our rocket by propelling our rocket through the air twice with two different stages.
Newton’s second law states that the force vector is the same as acceleration vector. That means that when we pressurize the bottle the force is building and in turn the acceleration will be building until released. When released the acceleration is at its highest point. This acceleration is what drives our rocket forward and up.
Newton’s third law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that when the water is escaping from the bottle at high speeds the equal force is propelling the rocket upward also the opposite reaction is also propelling the rocket upward.
Newton’s second law states that the force vector is the same as acceleration vector. That means that when we pressurize the bottle the force is building and in turn the acceleration will be building until released. When released the acceleration is at its highest point. This acceleration is what drives our rocket forward and up.
Newton’s third law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that when the water is escaping from the bottle at high speeds the equal force is propelling the rocket upward also the opposite reaction is also propelling the rocket upward.