Rocket Lab
Summary
In Physics, Students will do the following:
1. Design and build a rocket beginning with a 2-liter bottle.
2. Design a rocket to achieve the maximum hang time.
3. Complete the lab write-up to include a title, introduction, hypothesis, lab procedure, data, and conclusion.
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Learning Goals
The student will engineer a rocket to maximize hang time. There will be two launches and the student will compare and contrast structural designs that worked well and ones that didn't. The activity ends with a formal lab writeup.
Context for Use
The activity takes two class periods to fire off the rockets. I give them about one week to design their first rocket. The students then have about a week between launches to re-engineer their design. I then give them a week to finish their write-up.
Description and Teaching Materials
The materials needed are
1. A 2-litter bottle launcher (I add a tire pressure gauge to make sure everyone has the same PSI).
2. Stopwatches.
3. 1 litter grad cylinders to insure everyone has the same amount of water.
4. Poster paper. physics_rocket_design_ (Microsoft Word 29kB Aug25 09)
1. A 2-litter bottle launcher (I add a tire pressure gauge to make sure everyone has the same PSI).
2. Stopwatches.
3. 1 litter grad cylinders to insure everyone has the same amount of water.
4. Poster paper. physics_rocket_design_ (Microsoft Word 29kB Aug25 09)
Teaching Notes and Tips
When done I put their 3 times in an excel file and take their average to find class rank. I would suggest having 4 or 5 timers because at least one kid will miss each launch.
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Assessment
My assessment comes in the form of a formal lab write-up. I give a few points from class rank (I take their highest finish on either day) and everyone gets at least half the rank points as a minimum.
Standards
Strand 1. The Nature of Science and Engineering
Substrand 2. The Practice of Engineering
Code 9.1.2.2.1 & 9.1.2.2.2
Substrand 2. The Practice of Engineering
Code 9.1.2.2.1 & 9.1.2.2.2