Rocket Lab Report

Charlee Sabrowski
A4
General Physics
11-26-13
1
Charlee Sabrowski
Physics
A3
11-21-13
ABS RAC
his lab consists o! "any labs p#t to$ether to better #n%erstan% each aspect o! the !inal
lab& 'n the !inal lab rockets were la#nche% an% the hei$hts were "eas#re%& he !irst lab helps to
$et a better #n%erstan%in$ o! the in%i(i%#al rocket en$ine an% how to i%enti!y it& he secon% lab
will help to better #n%erstan% air resistance) an% %ra$ coe!!icients& he n#"erical "o%el lab will
help by showin$ yo# how to #se the collecte% %ata to pre%ict how hi$h the rocket will $o& *nce
all the hei$hts are pre%icte% the rocket was la#nche% an% the pre%icte% hei$hts an% the "eas#re%
hei$hts were co"pare%& +or this lab the !inal n#"bers while not per!ect were in the sa"e ran$e
showin$ that i! %i!!erent e,#ip"ent was #se% the n#"bers wo#l% ha(e been "ore e-act an%
possibly closer&
Rocket an% .n$ine /eas#re% 0ei$ht Pre%icte% 0ei$ht&
1hite B6 62 43
Sil(er B6 64 44
1hite C6 145 143
1hite A6 23 12
'ntro%#ction
A part o! physics is learnin$ abo#t how thin$s "o(e) why they "o(e) an% what "akes
the" "o(e& o ha(e a better #n%erstan%in$ o! the topic yo# can la#nch rockets an% see what
"akes the" "o(e) how %o their en$ines work) an% other aspects o! the rockets !li$ht& 1ith this
lab yo# can st#%y %i!!erent aspects o! how the rocket works) instea% o! sayin$ 7it la#nche%8 yo#
can say why it went as hi$h as it %i% what !orces are actin$ on it an% why it9s i"portant not to
i$nore those !orces when pre%ictin$ the hei$ht&
he st#%y o! "otion is calle% kine"atics) which has a s#b topic %yna"ics which is the
st#%y o! the !orces that ca#se an ob:ect to "o(e& +ro" there yo# can start to $et into the topics o!
'"p#lse an% /o"ent#"& '"p#lse is %e!ine% as the !orce actin$ on an ob:ect "#ltiplie% by the
ti"e it occ#rs) while "o"ent#" is %e!ine% as the "ass o! an ob:ect "#ltiplie% by the (elocity it
is tra(elin$ at& Another part o! %yna"ics is air resistance which is a !orce the is opposite the
relati(e "otion the e,#ation !or air resistance is +
%
;k
%
<(
2
or %ra$ !orce is e,#al to so"e constant
"#ltiplie% by the (elocity s,#are& he %ra$ coe!!icient is the constant in this e,#ation& Another
e,#ation that is help!#l is the i"p#lse "o"ent#" theory& 1hich is ';%elta=t> yo# can %eri(e this
e,#ation by?
2
Step1? Start with !or"#la !or '"p#lse =';!<t>
Step 2? hen #se newtons 2n% law to replace 7!8 =';"<a<t>
Step 3? hen #se the "otion e,#ations to replace 7a8 =';"<%elta (@%elta t<t>
Step 4? hen i! t;4 %elta t is :#st t now an% the two ti"es cancel each other o#t =';"<%elta (>
Step 3? Since the is now ';"(
!
-"(
o
which "eans the i"p#lse is e,#al to the chan$e in
"o"ent#"
';%elta=p>
Another i"portant part o! a rocket is the en$ine) there are se(eral %i!!erent types o!
en$ines& An e-a"ple is a C6-4 en$ine each part o! the rocket has a "eanin$& +or all en$ines the
letter at the be$innin$ tells yo# what the i"p#lse o! the rocket is an% each letter stan%s !or a
%i!!erent i"p#lse =A;2&3) B;3) C;14) A;24) .;44> each letter is %o#ble the pre(io#s startin$
with 2&3& he !irst n#"ber in the na"e is the a(era$es thr#st !or the en$ine which can (ary) an%
the last n#"ber in the na"e is the %elay ti"e between the ti"e that the !irst soli% !#el r#ns o#t
an% the parach#te is release%& 'n rocket en$ine yo# ha(e a soli% !#el which b#rns the !irst an% the
lon$est yo# then ha(e a %elay cork that $i(es the rocket eno#$h ti"e to $et to its hi$hest point
be!ore releasin$ the parach#te&
Rocket .n$ine
*ne o! the last thin$ yo# %o in the lab is pre%ict the hei$ht they will !ly b#t yo# can not #se
the "otion e,#ations #nless the !li$ht is constant which it is not b#t i! yo# #se n#"erical
iteration to break the !li$ht into s"aller ti"e inter(al an% #se that as a constant yo# can in !act
!in% the pre%icte% hei$ht the rocket will $o& B#"erical iteration is the process o! breakin$ thin$s
into s"aller pieces to $et res#lts&
.n$ine hr#st Analysis
he p#rpose o! the !irst lab is to be able to i%enti!y what type o! rocket en$ine is bein$
#se% base% on the %ata collecte%& o %o this a %i$ital !orce $a#$e is #se% which is attache% to a
track an% an en$ine is attache% to a car& hen the CBL is attache% to the !orce $a#$e an% %ata
"ate is #se% to recor% the in!or"ation& +or this lab %ata is recor%e% e(ery &1 secon% also a tri$$er
is set #p so when 1 B is !elt the pro$ra" be$ins to take %ata& *nce e(erythin$ is set #p the rocket
"#st be i$nite% to %o this yo# attach an i$nitor to the en% o! the rocket beca#se it can not be
i$nite% by han%& An i$nitor is a two wires one en% o! each wire has a phosphoro#s s#bstance at
3
the en% that when the other en% is connecte% to the battery the phosphoro#s i$nites which in t#rn
i$nites the rocket en$ine&

*nce e(erythin$ is set #p an% the en$ine is i$nite%) the %ata is collecte% an% $raphe%&
1hen $raphe% it is clear the rocket starts o!! with a peak in thr#st the co"es %own to a thr#st that
it stays at !or al"ost two secon%s& o na"e@classi!y rockets yo# "#st !irst know the thr#st to !in%
this the area o! the $raph "#st be !o#n%) so i! yo# split the $raph into two separate rectan$les one
on the botto" an% the other on the spike& *nce yo# !in% the area o! each o! the rectan$les then
a%% the" to$ether an% yo# !in% the thr#st !or the en$ine& 'n the lab we !o#n% that the area o! the
spike rectan$le to be &63 an% the area o! the botto" rectan$le 6&2 which ca"e to a total o! 2&43
which wo#l% be classi!ie% as a 7C8 en$ine& he ne-t part o! classi!yin$ a rocket is to !in% the
a(era$e thr#st) this can be %one by #sin$ the !or"#la !or i"p#lse = > beca#se we knew
it was a 7C8 en$ine beca#se the i"p#lse o! 14 an% the $raph showe% that the !li$ht was o(er a
ti"e inter(al o! 2 yo# can calc#late the a(era$e thr#st to be 3& 1ith this in!or"ation yo# can tell
that it9s a C3 en$ine
Ara$ +orce =Air Resistance>
he p#rpose o! this la was to !in% an% better #n%erstan% %ra$ coe!!icients an% air
resistance& o %o this an e,#ation is nee%e% so part o! the lab is to !in% an% #se the e,#ation&'n
this lab a win% t#nnel with a (elocity o! 13 "@s is #se%& 'nsi%e the win% t#nnel in !ront o! a
win%ow is a rocket attache% to a strin$ in !ront o! a protractor& his is so later on the an$le can be
#se% to calc#late the %ra$ coe!!icient& 'n the win% t#nnel there is a screen with a honey co"b
pattern this is so the win% in the t#nnel is better %istrib#te% an% the rocket with "o(e s"oothly
instea% o! with t#rb#lence which is when the win% in %istrib#te% #ne,#ally so the !li$ht is #ne(en
instea% o! s"ooth
4
*nce e(erythin$ is set #p an e,#ation "#st be !o#n% to "ake sense o! all the n#"ber that
will later be !o#n%& Co# can9t #se the e,#ation beca#se the %ra$ !orce an% the %ra$
!orce an% the (elocity are not proportional) b#t "ore like the %ra$ !orce is ,#a%r#ple the a"o#nt
o! the (elocity so instea% #se the e,#ation & his e,#ation states the the %ra$ !orce is
proportional to so"e constant ti"es the (elocity s,#are%) b#t since the p#rpose o! the lab is to
better #n%erstan% the %ra$ coe!!icient as well as the %ra$ !orce another e,#ation to #se is
1ith these e,#ations all nee%e% in!or"ation can be !o#n%&
1ith the e,#ations the win% t#nnel can be #se%) in the win% t#nnel the 61$ rocket h#n$
!ro" a sin$le strin$ at 24 %e$rees& o "ake e(erythin$ stan%ar% physics #nits the rockets wei$ht
will be &461 k$ instea% o! 61$& +or the lab the win% t#nnel is t#rne% on) an% then watch to see
how hi$h the stin$ $oes an$le wise an% recor% the %ata& 'n this case the strin$ went #p to an an$le
o! 124 %e$rees "akin$ it a 34 %e$ree an$le& +ro" here #se a !ree bo%y %ia$ra" to $et the
e,#ation & By enterin$ the known (ariables) the o#tp#t is the %ra$ !orce which can
then be entere% in the e,#ation &
+ro" this e,#ation the %ra$ coe!!icient is !o#n% !or better or "ore acc#rate n#"bers each o!
he %i!!erent rockets co#l% be place% in the win% t#nnel to !in% each o! the separate %ra$
coe!!icients& he reason each rocket will ha(e their own %ra$ coe!!icient is beca#se that all ha(e
%i!!erent s#r!ace areas as well as %i!!erent "asses&
BD/. R' CAL /*A. L
he p#rpose o! this lab was to be able to pre%ict how hi$h each o! the rockets wo#l% $o with
each en$ine& o %o this the !li$ht ha% to be broken #p into s"aller pieces an% an a(era$e was
taken between e(ery tenth o! a secon% an% treate% as a the constant spee% !or that perio% o! ti"e
there!ore "akin$ the entire !li$ht constant& o break so"ethin$ %own into s"aller inter(als is
known as n#"erical iteration& o pre%ict the hei$ht the rocket wo#l% $o the "ass o! the rocket
an% en$ine co"bine% was nee%e% as well as the %ra$ coe!!icient& *nce this in!or"ation was
!o#n% with a sprea%sheet yo# are able to !i$#re o#t the hei$ht&
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*n the sprea% sheet there were 2 cate$ories which nee%e% to be calc#late% to !in% the "a-
hei$ht !or each !li$ht& +irst the A(era$e thr#st which was !o#n% by takin$ the thr#st at the
be$innin$ o! the ti"e inter(al an% the thr#st at the en% o! the ti"e inter(al an% %i(i%in$ it by two&
Be-t the %ra$ !orce was nee%e% which was !o#n% by #sin$ the e,#ation +
%
;k
%
(
2
#sin$ &4413 as
the %ra$ coe!!icient an% the !inal (elocity !ro" the pre(io#s line& Be-t the a(era$e net !orce ha%
to be !o#n% which was !o#n% by the s#btractin$ the !orce o! $ra(ity an% the %ra$ !orce !ro" the
a(era$e thr#st& hen the a(era$e net i"p#lse by "#ltiplyin$ the net !orce by the ti"e inter(al&
hen the initial (elocity was the !inal (elocity !ro" the pre(io#s row& Be-t was the !inal (elocity
which to !in% yo# a%% the initial (elocity an% the net !orce then "#ltiply it by the ti"e inter(al
an% %i(i%e it by the "ass& Co# then a%% the !inal (elocity an% the initial (elocity an% %i(i%e it by
two to !in% the a(era$e (elocity& with all this in!or"ation an% actin$ as i! it were a constant case
then yo# can yo# the e,#ation %;rt to !in% the !inal hei$ht&
*nce the e,#ations !or the n#"bers were !o#n% yo# can p#t the %i!!erent thr#sts in !or each
o! the %i!!erent en$ines as well as the %i!!erent "asses !or all the en$ines an% $et the pre%icte%
hei$ht&
Rocket .n$ine /ass o!
en$ine an%
rocket
Ara$
coe!!icient
Pre%icte%
hei$ht
Sil(er B6 4&423 4&4413 43&55
Sil(er C6 4&422 4&4413 144&23
Sil(er A6 4&42 4&4413 16&54
Bi$ 1hite B6 4&462 4&4413 43&36
Bi$ white C6 4&423 4&4413 142&36
Bi$ 1hite A6 4&466 4&4413 12&25
S"all 1hite 1@2 A3 4&43 4&4413 13&36
Another point !or this lab was to see the i"portance o! air
resistance an% why it can not be i$nore% in the pre%iction o! thin$s& o
si"#late this instea% o! p#ttin$ the air resistance into the sprea%
sheet yo# wo#l% insert 4 "akin$ it so that air resistance is
non e-istent& '! the two n#"ber are co"pare%
yo# can see a h#$e %i!!erence between the"
so"e were %o#ble e(en close to
triple%&
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Rocket and
engine
Mass predicted height
without air
resistance.
Silver A8 0.09 24.44
Silver C6 0.099 351.45
Silver B6 0.093 83.21
Big White A8 0.086 27.02
Big White B6 0.089 91.52
Big White C6 0.095 384.83
Small White
1/2 A3
0.03 22.72
+ro" this lab yo# can pre%ict the hei$ht b#t not e-actly) (ery close an% i! yo# wante% to
$et it closer yo# co#l% break it into s"aller ti"e inter(als& Also to $et a "ore e-act hei$ht yo#
can calc#late the %ra$ !orce !or each o! the separate rockets& 1ith this lab yo# can also show the
i"portance o! air resistance by co"parin$ the !li$hts with an% witho#t&
+ L ' G0 R. S DL S
*nce the hei$hts o! the rockets were pre%icte% with air resistance) all the rockets were
la#nche% & B#t the act#al hei$hts are what nee%e% to be calc#late%) to %o this three people in a
trian$#lar set #p hel% a protractor with a wei$ht an% !ollowe% the rocket once it $ot to the
"a-i"#" hei$ht they hel% the strin$ an% the an$le was recor%e%& he reason three people were
#se% is beca#se a rockets !li$ht path is rarely strai$ht #p& So i! only one person ha% taken an
an$le it co#l% ha(e been to bi$ or to s"all an% by a%%in$ a thir% person yo# "ake the an$le "ore
acc#rate) to $et the an$le !ro" all three it has to be a(era$e% by a%%in$ the three to$ether an%
%i(i%in$ that by three& *nce e(erythin$ was set #p an% all the people to takin$ an$les 34 "eters
!ro" the rocket& he rockets co#l% be la#nche%&
1ith e(erythin$ set #p it co#l% then be t#rne% it into a si"ple "ath proble" #sin$ trian$les
an% tan$ent& o %o this a %ia$ra" was set #p =below> o! a stick person an% a trian$le to represent
the hei$ht the rocket wo#l% reach& an$ent was #se% beca#se the %istance !ro" the people an%
the rocket an% the an$le were known an% so the a%:acent si%e was known an% the opposite si%e
was the #nknown & Enowin$ that an=theta>; opp@a%: i! both si%es were "#ltiplie% by the
a%:acent the e,#ation a%:<an=theta>;opp which is the e,#ation nee%e% to !in% the hei$ht as
7
lon$ as the h %istance !ro" the an$le people an% the a(era$e an$le between the three was
known& B#t the a(era$e hei$ht o! the three people that took an$les ha% to be a%%e%) which en%e%
#p bein$ 1&6 an% with the %istance bein$ 34 o#r e,#ation en%e% #p bein$ =34<an=theta>>
F1&6;*pposite@+inal 0ei$ht&
=34<an=theta>>F1&6;+inal 0ei$ht
Rocket
G.n$ine
An$le 1 An$le 2 An$le 3 A(era$e
An$le
Act#al
0ei$ht
Pre%icte%
0ei$ht
1hite B6 64 34 34 33&3 62 43
Sil(er B6 36 44 34 42&3 64 44
1hite C6 64 63 54 51&6 145 143
1hite A6 24 24 23 23 22&6 12
he chart abo(e shows all o! the an$les an% the a(era$es then the act#al hei$ht as well as the
pre%icte% hei$ht& he an$les shown abo(e aren9t the an$les the person took %own b#t rather the
an$le s#btracte% !ro" 24 beca#se at eye le(el the wei$ht sat at 24 so instea% o! #sin$ the an$le
like 124) 144) 134 an% so on 24 was s#btracte% to $et the act#al an$le that was nee%e% an% #se%
to $et the act#al hei$hts&
Concl#sion
8
Rocket an% .n$ine /eas#re% 0ei$ht Pre%icte% 0ei$ht
1hite b6 62 43
Sil(er B6 64 44
1hite C6 145 143
1hite A6 23 12
+ro" the chart yo# can co"pare the pre%icte% an% the "eas#re% hei$hts) which are ob(io#sly
o!! by ,#ite a bit& wo reason !or this are h#"an error an% e,#ip"ent) which to$ether beco"e an
ob(io#s proble"& he reason h#"an error wo#l% beco"e a proble" is beca#se e(en i! yo# hol%
the strin$ per!ectly yo# can still $i(e a n#"ber that has an error ran$e !ro" 1 to 3& 'n the !li$ht
res#lts yo# see that al"ost all the an$les can be per!ectly %i(i%e% by 14 which see"s (ery
i"probable which "eans that h#"an error probably kicke% in& Another proble" is the e,#ip"ent
while the protractors can $i(e #s %ecent n#"bers an% a $oo% i%ea o! the hei$ht it %oesn9t $i(e
e-act n#"bers a$ain %#e to h#"an error b#t with an alti"eter attache% to the rockets yo# wo#l%
$et the e-act n#"bers !or how hi$h the rockets went b#t %#e to price an% other !actors the
protractors were a "ore reasonable tool !or #s to #se&
Re!lection
his lab all to$ether went pretty well) with the ob(io#s proble"s here an% there& he !irst
proble" wo#l% be that when %oin$ the rocket en$ine lab the !irst ti"e it wo#l% not i$nite& here
co#l% be "any %i!!erent proble"s wether it was a ba% i$nitor) cable) %ea% battery or e(en :#st a
ba% en$ine& o o(er co"e this the best sol#tion was to $et new e(erythin$ an% chan$e each o! the
co"ponents #ntil it worke%& Another proble" was h#"an error on the !inal !li$ht res#lts yo# can
see that the an$les that were recor%e% were all %i(isible by ten an% while its not that it9s
i"possible it is ,#ite i"probable b#t %#e to the e,#ip"ent there is ob(io#sly roo" !or h#"an
error in there& *(er all the lab went (ery s"oothly an% is a $oo% way to better #n%erstan% an%
learn abo#t these certain topics& Pl#s it keeps yo# intereste% beca#se in the en% yo# know that
yo# $et to la#nch rockets&
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