Rocket Eggmission

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.