Rocket forces and designs Paul Schember Norwood Middle School- 8th grade science The ChallengeHow does it work?Activity Questions Global Relevance Activities along the way Rocket Materials Engineering Teamwork The following is a list of some of the activities we will use to get ready for building successful rockets: Video footage of rocket design and testing Potential & Kinetic Energy lab Force diagrams for rockets Newton’s laws demo and lab Planning and prototypes Building and testing of actual rockets The following is a list of some of the activities we will use to get ready for building successful rockets: Video footage of rocket design and testing Potential & Kinetic Energy lab Force diagrams for rockets Newton’s laws demo and lab Planning and prototypes Building and testing of actual rockets To make a full-size rocket fly into space and release a satellite, the following types of engineers had to work together: These are some of the questions you will find the answers to during this unit: 1. How does fin shape and/or area affect the rocket’s flight? 2. How does the number of fins affect flight characteristics? 3. How does fin angle (compared to the vertical plane) affect rocket flight? The Launch Pad 5. What amount of water will propel our rocket the farthest? 6. Where can we attach the payload without adversely affecting the rocket’s flight? 7. How are Newton’s laws of motion involved with our rocket flight? 8. Does one variable affect rocket flight more than the others? The rocket will use high-pressure gases to propel it upward. Nose cones, fins, and other parts will stabilize and steer the rocket. Amount of fuel and pressure of the gas will determine the rocket’s height. We will complete activities and lessons along the way to give you more rocket skills Cell phones, GPS devices, and homeland security all rely on satellites that orbit the Earth. Rockets are designed to carry these satellites into space and release them so that they can orbit Earth and connect your cell phone to the person you’re talking to. Engineers work together to make all of this possible! Design and build a rocket that can carry cargo to a specific height! The rocket must fly straight up and must not go any higher than the assigned height. Rockets must be built in class from materials provided. You and a partner will use the following materials to build and launch your rocket: 2 liter bottle(s) Cardboard or stiff plastic Tape and/or hot glue Easter egg (to hold payload) Markers, decals, stickers, glitter Launching materials: Launch pad Water Tire pump Altitude finder Helium balloon (reference point) CEEMS is supported by the National Science Foundation grant # Any opinions, findings, conclusions, and/or recommendations are those of the investigators and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation. Engineering FieldExpertise Mechanical engineerDesign rocket body Electrical engineerBuild electrical Circuits Chemical engineerFormulate fuel mixture Structural engineerDesign launch pad Aeronautical engineerEvaluate flight characteristics