Rocket science
Physics of the Mundane
Adam Johnston
For this experience we will be launching pressurized water rockets and analyzing their motions. For each rocket you are to measure or calculate (in a fashion modeled after Fermi[1]) the following:
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The rocket=s maximum height |
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The rocket engine=s time of thrust (during liftoff) |
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The rocket=s total time for upward motion (from ground level to maximum height) |
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The rocket=s maximum velocity |
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The rocket=s acceleration as the engine exerts maximum thrust (during liftoff) |
You should form a team of about four people, working together to solve these problems for each rocket. We will launch several "trial" rockets in order to get a feeling for the tasks at hand.
As before, your best assets are your own ingenuity and the combined ingenuity of your lab partners B be sure to work together and discuss your options and methods. You also have:
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stopwatches |
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tape measures & other distance measurers |
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angle measuring devices |
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formulae from previous labs and discussions |
With any lab designed by this instructor, you should use some amount of caution; but with this lab, we should be incredibly careful and aware of what is going on. While these rockets have been tested for stable flight, stay alert and stand back when rockets are being launched.
[1]See Hatton, pp 46-51