Q
Focus
What
is a rocket?
A
rocket is a cylindrical projectile that can be propelled to a great height or distance by the combustion of its contents.
Where
should the egg be in the rocket?
The
best place for the egg is in the front of the rocket. There needs to
be weight in the front of the rocket to balance out the weight of the
water that goes in the back.
Does
the number of fins matter?
More
than 2 fins are necessary for a rocket to fly straight. More than 4
fins are unnecessary. The best choice for number of fins is 3 or 4. 3
fins will weigh less, but also give less stability. 4 fins will weigh
a little more, but provide more stability.
Making
of Rocket
The
materials we used to make our rocket was 1 2-liter Diet Mountain Dew
bottle, 1 2-liter Diet Dr Pepper bottle, cardboard, bubble wrap, and
duct tape. We used the Diet Mountain Dew bottle for the body of the
rocket, and the top of the Diet Dr Pepper bottle for the nose cone of
the rocket. We put the bubble wrap in the nose cone to help protect
the egg. We used the cardboard to make fins, and we used the duct
tape to secure the fins and other parts of the rocket.
Physics
of Rocket
Air is pumped into the body of the rocket which causes pressure to push against the inside wall of the rocket. As the stopper is removed from the opening, all this pressure pushes the water out of the back end of the rocket. The exiting water causes the rocket to be propelled forward. The back end of the rocket wants to get in front of the front end, but the weight (from the egg) in the front of the rocket stops this from happening. As the rocket runs out of water propelling it, it begins to dive downwards because there is more weight in the front of the rocket.
Protection
of Egg
To
protect the egg, we put it in the nose cone, and surrounded it in
bubble wrap.
Results
We
launched our rocket at 35 degrees with 750 mL of water. It traveled
62 metes, but our egg did not survive. This may have been because a
rock was placed in the nose cone to help even out the weight. The
rocket's flight path was pretty straight. It did not tumble or spin
out of control.
What
I learned
I learned how pressure inside a rocket causes it to travel forward, and how fins contribute to the stability of a rocket. Also, rocks
are not very good at protecting eggs.
