Rocket Experiment

CONCEPTUAL PHYSICS
Mahidol University International Demonstration School
Friday, February 17th 2016 7.30 - 8.30
Lab Instructor - PWin
Lecture Intructor - MR.GOPINATH SUBRAMANIAN
11TH GRADE SCIENCE
Members ::
Praewa Kobkurkul 5861120
Kanyapat Thongta 5861048

Saruttaya Rungsakorn 5861140

Yanisa Lekprasert 5861305
Phimlaphas Munikanond 5861310
Introduction
Many physics concepts are involved in this rocket project.
The main purpose of this project is making a rocket and a
launcher along with being able to use the best ratio of the
rocket fuel (baking soda and vinegar) that would make the
rocket go as far as 20-25 meters. In this part of the project,
physics part, we mainly observed how wind affects the flying
distance by focusing on what shape of the rocket body, head,
fins, and design and angle of the launcher would make it fly in
the range of the particular distance.
HYPOTHESIS
- If the angle that the rocket makes with the
launcher is about 45 degree, then the rocket
would possibly fly the farthest.
- The accurate angle of fins, the shape, and the
wind would affect on how the rocket fly.
- The heavier the rocket, the more the resistant
force will be.
Background Information

Projectile
A projectile is an object upon which the only force acting is gravity. A
projectile is any object that once projected or dropped continues in motion
by its own inertia and is influenced only by the downward force of gravity.
If there were any other force acting upon an object that is not the gravity
force, then that object would not be a projectile.
 Newton's First Law
- Objects at rest will stay at rest and objects in motion will stay in motion in a
straight line unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

- With a projectile there is the unbalanced force

of gravity which acts only downward on the
object. If air resistance is negligible, there is
no force acting horizontally. So, the projectile
will travel horizontally with constant velocity
which means we wont calculate any other
force on the x axis.
Newtons second law
Since acceleration due to gravity only acts along the y axis, we seperate the
calculation for x and y axis. There is no other force acting on x axis which means it's
moving at constant velocity. However, in y axis there is a gravitational acceleration
accelerating downwards.
Newtons third law (Action = reaction)
There is always a reaction force that is equal in size to the
action force, but opposite in direction. That is to say that
whenever an object pushes another object it gets pushed
back in the opposite direction equally hard.
 How all the laws get applied to the rocket.
1. An unbalanced force must be exerted for a rocket to lift off from
a launch pad or for a craft in space to change speed or direction
(first law).
2. The amount of thrust (force) produced by a rocket engine will be
determined by the mass of rocket fuel that is burned and how
fast the gas escapes the rocket (second law).
3. The reaction, or motion, of the rocket is equal to and in the
opposite direction of the action, or thrust, from the engine (third
law).
The Rocket Fins

During the flight, wind can cause the rocket to change its attitude in flight.
In order to decrease the chance of flying off its track, making proper fins is one of
the factors. Fins provide stability to rockets and help them to face the right
direction, maintain a straight path and not spin uncontrollably. When fins are
attached to the back end of rockets, they are able to cut through the air in only one
direction and provide drag if the air is pushing against them from the wrong
angle. This means that the rocket can only point forward, and if the rocket gets
off its track then the fins help to correct the flight path.
 Pressure Energy
Pressure is defined as the Energy is a factor which causes
amount of force exerted per area. force for the universe. Energy
is the property that must be
In an easy word, Pressure is equal transferred to an object in order
to force divided by area. Not only to perform work.
can the weight of liquids exert
pressure, but also the weight of
gases. They are pushing down
because of the force of gravity.
 Materials
Rocket Fuel
Vinegar
Baking Soda
Ballon
Rubberband
Sharp object
Rocket launcher
PVC pipe
Cardboard box
Future Board
Scissors
Duck tape
Rocket Body
Plastic Bottle
Cardboard Box
Spray Paint
Acrylic Paint
Cork
Duck Tape
Hard Paper
Clay
Pebbles
Procedure
1. We did a research about the
rocket experiment and decide to
drew out the overview of our
rocket and the launcher.
First Rocket and Launcher
We use a wooden cutting board and a cardboard
We use a water bottle as a rocket, paint it all in
box as a launcher. We place the box on top of the
black and make a wings for it. We decided to
cutting board to make the angle.
make a wings like an airplane wings; two on the
side and one on the middle-top. We also use a
hard paper to make the rocket nose.
 We decided to make a new
Second Rocket and Launcher launcher due to the size of the
rocket. This time, we used a pipe
to create the launcher and the
We found out the our bottle angle is movable so that we can
and wings are incorrect. It adjust it into any angles.
is better if we use a pops
bottle because it can hold
more pressure than just a
water bottle. Also, the
angle of the wings are not
suitable for the rocket. So
we adjust to make all of the
angles between each wing
to be equal.
Third and Fourth Rocket
The only thing that we change in this rocket is
the wings. We have a total of six wings; four on
the side and two on the top for it to be strong.

This rocket is different from the others. We used our second

rocket and take off the wings so it would have no wings at all.
It has only the head which is mae from a hard-paper.
 Data
DESIGN ACCURACY ROCKET BAKING VINEGAR ANGLE PHYSICS
MASS SODA VOLUME

3 0 68.66 g 15.76 g 250 mL 40 degrees 3

3 0 88.95 g 21.39 g 250 mL 40 degrees 3

3 0 84.34 g 22.35 g 250 mL 40 degrees 3

3 0 82.45 g 16.45 g 200 mL 40 degrees 3

3 0 146.87 g 20.7 g 200 mL 40 degrees 3

3 0 140.87 g 20.2 g 200 mL 40 degrees 3

3 0 205.18 g 20.1 g 200 mL 40 degrees 3

3 0 195.28 g 20.4 g 200 mL 40 degrees 3

3 0 195.28 g 25.4 g 250 mL 40 degrees 3

3 4 195.28 g 25.4 g 250 mL 40 degrees 3

 Clay

Cork
The Experiment
 Result It was proven in the project that
The mass of the rocket, the angle of the rocket with the mass 195.28g
the launcher making with the which made 40 degree angle with
floor, the shape and position of the the floor flew the best landing on
fins, the amount of baking soda the target in the 4 points area.
and vinegar, and wind direction Additionally, the ratio of vinegar
are all the factors that affected the and baking soda also had an
ability of the rocket to fly. effect on how far the rocket go.
The best ratio was 25.40 g of
baking soda : 250 ml of vinegar.
Discussion
Our fist launcher didnt work because we cant identify the angle and the
rocket cant place properly.
The method of using a balloon did not work. The balloon cant create
enough force to pushed the rocket upward, so we decided to use baking
soda and vinegar instead.
 Our second launcher is made from a PVC pipe which the angle can
be adjusted.
We also make a new fins, but we then realized that the angle of the
fins was not right so our rocket spinned when it took off. Finally, we
discovered that having fins on a rocket does not mean that they will,
always, help the rocket fly better.
Pebbles and clay helped the rocket to stay in its direction.
Conclusion
The angle that made the rocket fly hitting the target (4 points) is 40
degrees with the weight, approximately, 295 grams of the rocket but without
any fins. From this project, it was experienced that the fins can also cause a
negative effect on the rocket flying ability if the angle was not measured
accurately. In our case, the rocket with no fins flew better than the ones that
had them.