Bottle Rockets!

Its rocket science!

Your challenge

• Design and Build a rocket using the materials provided to achieve a higher altitude. You must have a recovery device (i.e. Parachute) for safety) and a way to show one variable change.

Background

A water rocket is a chamber, usually a 2-liter soft drink bottle, partially filled with water. Air is forced inside with a pump. When the rocket is released, the pressurized air forces water out the nozzle (pour spout). The bottle launches itself in the opposite direction. The bottle usually has a nose cone for streamlining and fins for stability.

Things to think about as you design

• Like all rockets, the flight performance of water bottle rockets is strongly influenced by the rocket’s design and the care taken in its construction. Beveling the leading and trailing edges of fins allows them to slice through the air more cleanly. Straight-mounted fins produce little friction or drag with the air. A small amount of ballast weight inside the nose cone helps balance the rocket.

Clue: Think about the forces

A rocket is subjected to four forces;

1. weight 2. thrust3. lift4. drag.

Criteria for experimental design to build a better rocket

1. Written Design with dimensions and drawings2. Must have a parachute or retrieval system3. Must have one variable you are testing (must have

two rockets with only one variable changed or change something in the second launch)

4. Must write up your hypothesis about your variable.

First thing to do:

• Cut the plastic ring around the mouth of the pressurized bottle.

• Remove the label

Things to Consider

• Fin design• Cone Design• Ballast design (weighted area towards the

front of the rocket)• Parachute Design• Symmetry• Overall Mass

REMEMBER!!!

These rockets launch due to pressureThis means…

DO NOT CUT THE 2 LITER BOTTLEIf you do, this will compromise your ability to launch because the bottle

will not hold pressure.

Design

You must have a completed design by the end of today. Your design must be written down with a list of materials, a schematic drawing of your rocket and a written plan of sizes and dimensions. If you want you can pick up supplies today and put them in a bag and label your group and period number. You are welcome to add to the supplies with material from home but realize you will need to have them here next class period.

Final Paper-one per group1. Design must be written down with a list of materials, a

schematic drawing of your rocket and a written plan of sizes and dimensions

2. Explanation of variable and why you chose it. Hypothesis (what you thought would happen with the variable and why)

3. Results and Data. What happened?4. Analysis of data. Why did it happen?5. Conclusion: Explanation of the bigger picture. What

did your investigation explain about rocketry