Topography Map
Parachute Experiment
- What type of material would make the most efficient homemade parachute?
- If three different materials are used to make a parachute, then the parachute made of the plastic trash bag would be the most efficient because the plastic would hold in the air slowing the decent without breaking.
- Materials:
- a 36in. x 36in. sheet
- a 36in. x 36in. plastic trash bag
- a 36in. x 36in. sheet of duct tape
- 12 20 in. pieces of strong string
- An object that weighs 3lbs.
- Stopwatch
- A ladder
- Procedure:
- Take the sheet and attach a piece of string to each corner
- Take the other end of the strings and tie them to the box
- Drop the parachute and box off of the ladder and time how long it takes for the parachute to hit the ground.
- Record
- Repeat steps 3-4 two more times
- Calculate average time to hit ground for the parachute
- Repeat steps 1-6 with each of the other material
- Response to the hypothesis:
- Analysis Question Answers:
- The trends I saw in my data were that as I changed the material to a lighter and less porous material the time it took for the parachute to fall increased.
- From the original plan for my experiment I had to change the weight of the object and the height of the fall so that it would work.
- Our sources of error in the experiment would; be the length of string once tied to the weight, this would not allow the parachute to fully open. The height of at which the parachute dropped at. My arm may not have been at the exact same height when i dropped the parachute thus varying the time. The size of the parachute may have varied slightly because the tape measure may have not been level when we measured.
- We could change the experiment for the better by tying the string to the parachute before measuring out the length. Mark on a wall the height at which we drop the parachute from. Take the time and re-measure each length before cutting it.
- Conclusion
A good experiment is an experiment that is controlled as much as possible with little error. There would be a controlled environment with nothing to mess up the experiment. Things that would mess up the experiment would be things such as light exposure, wind, and temperature. These would have to be eliminated to control the experiment. A good experiment would also be able to be recreated. If the experiment could not be recreated to get the same results, then it was a not a good experiment. We believe our experiment could have been better but for the most part was a good experiment.
Rube Goldberg
Rube Goldberg Calculations
- V=d/t
- V=.13/.53
- V=.0689 m/s
- P=m*v
- P=63.34*.0689
- P=4.36 kg•m/s
- P=m*v
- P=3.52*.0296
- P=.104kg•m/s
- V=d/t
- V=.34*.56
- V=.1904 m/s
- P=m*v
- P=3.52*.9324
- P=3.282 m/s
- t=√ht/.05(9.81)
- t=√.09/.4905
- t=.18 seconds
- t=√ht/.05(9.81)
- t=√.14/.4905
- t= .29 seconds
- P=m*v
- P=3.52*.2296
- P=.808 kg•m/s
- T=√ht/.05(9.81)
- T=√.04/.4905
- T=.08 seconds
Rocket Reflection
For this project we constructed rockets out of bottles. My partner and I used only Smart Water bottles to create the body of the rocket, fiberglass for the fins and a Styrofoam nose cone. The use of a single Smart Water bottle as the main chamber worked well. This is because the bottle was not compromised so there was no need to worry about a leakage in the main chamber. The fiberglass fins were not the best idea because the fiber glass was very fragile. Since the fins were fragile when it hit the ground the fins would shatter. The Styrofoam nose cone had the right shape but wasn’t the right size so it did not fit the bottle correctly and would not deploy properly causing the cone to break in half when the rocket hit the ground nose first. Our parachute did deploy but did not help slow down the rocket as much as I hoped.
If I could do this project again I would have the fins be cylindrical and be made out of Smart Water bottles that way when the rocket hits the ground the fins would not break but bend instead absorbing the shock. I would make my cone and not buy it. I would make the coke out of rubber so that it would also absorb the shock. I would make the parachute bigger with more strings connecting it to the rocket. The strings would be longer so it can catch more wind. I would make sure to put the cone on properly so it won’t fall off before it is launched but also loose enough to fall out of the rocket when the rocket starts to fall. I would also make the rocket more aerodynamic by smoothing out all the sides. I
would finally put less weight on the rocket so the parachute would not have to slow down so much dead weight.
Our rocket went a grand total of 25.5 feet in the air. When our rocket was launched the first time the nose cone fell of before the launching and we were unable to place the cone back on the rocket. This caused extra drag when we launched so the rocket could not go as high as it would if the cone was properly on. The second time we launched our rocket’s cone was properly on and the rocket flew higher. However the second time we launched the rocket the parachute did not deploy.
To make this exhibition better I would add more weight to the bottom of the Destroyer so that it will not tip as easily which would also be safe as well as efficient. I would make it easier to load the rockets so that not as much water is spilled. I would also increase the psi for the initial launch to around 95-100. I would make the pins shorter so that it will be easier to insert and also to release. Finally, I would hold the exhibition earlier in the school year or later in the school year.
If I could do this project again I would have the fins be cylindrical and be made out of Smart Water bottles that way when the rocket hits the ground the fins would not break but bend instead absorbing the shock. I would make my cone and not buy it. I would make the coke out of rubber so that it would also absorb the shock. I would make the parachute bigger with more strings connecting it to the rocket. The strings would be longer so it can catch more wind. I would make sure to put the cone on properly so it won’t fall off before it is launched but also loose enough to fall out of the rocket when the rocket starts to fall. I would also make the rocket more aerodynamic by smoothing out all the sides. I
would finally put less weight on the rocket so the parachute would not have to slow down so much dead weight.
Our rocket went a grand total of 25.5 feet in the air. When our rocket was launched the first time the nose cone fell of before the launching and we were unable to place the cone back on the rocket. This caused extra drag when we launched so the rocket could not go as high as it would if the cone was properly on. The second time we launched our rocket’s cone was properly on and the rocket flew higher. However the second time we launched the rocket the parachute did not deploy.
To make this exhibition better I would add more weight to the bottom of the Destroyer so that it will not tip as easily which would also be safe as well as efficient. I would make it easier to load the rockets so that not as much water is spilled. I would also increase the psi for the initial launch to around 95-100. I would make the pins shorter so that it will be easier to insert and also to release. Finally, I would hold the exhibition earlier in the school year or later in the school year.
The Physics Behind the Rocket
Due to Newton’s first law, we know that an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the
same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. Our rocket was launched off of a launch pad using water and carbon dioxide. Together, these two elements worked together to lift our rocket into the air. Our rocket would have moved in a straight line, with a constant speed if not for the net force, which was acting against the object. The net forces acting on the rocket were gravity, air resistance, the wind, and other such unbalanced forces. All of these forces acted upon the rocket and affected the way, and the direction of its movement. Before the rocket took flight, there was force exerted on the inside of the rocket, and it was able to take off because once the clips holding the rocket were released, this force came out with the water. While the rocket was in flight, the water was being forced out, thus it was accelerating. Once the rocket was in the air the wind ended up having more force which is why the rocket did not fly straight up. Finally, air resistance slowed down the rocket and gravity had a chance to overcome the force of the rocket.
Due to Newton’s second law, we know that the acceleration of an object is directly related to the force exerted on that object and oppositely related to the mass of that object. Since the rocket we launched was so light, it accelerated (because of the force of the fuel), at a greater pace than the other heavier rockets. The rocket, being so light, had an easier time overcoming the opposing forces, allowing it to gather more speed to propel the rocket higher.
Due to Newton’s third law, we know that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The reason that our rocket was able to launch was because when the rocket was filled with pressurized carbon dioxide, the carbon dioxide pressed against all the walls of the bottle with equal force. When we pulled the trigger it allowed one part of the pressurized bottle to be released causing unequal pressure forcing the rocket up into the air until the bottle was once again equally pressurized. As water is pushed out of the bottle backwards, the rocket is pushed forwards. The reaction, or motion, of the rocket away from the launched pad is equal to and opposite from the thrust of the engine or nozzle.
same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. Our rocket was launched off of a launch pad using water and carbon dioxide. Together, these two elements worked together to lift our rocket into the air. Our rocket would have moved in a straight line, with a constant speed if not for the net force, which was acting against the object. The net forces acting on the rocket were gravity, air resistance, the wind, and other such unbalanced forces. All of these forces acted upon the rocket and affected the way, and the direction of its movement. Before the rocket took flight, there was force exerted on the inside of the rocket, and it was able to take off because once the clips holding the rocket were released, this force came out with the water. While the rocket was in flight, the water was being forced out, thus it was accelerating. Once the rocket was in the air the wind ended up having more force which is why the rocket did not fly straight up. Finally, air resistance slowed down the rocket and gravity had a chance to overcome the force of the rocket.
Due to Newton’s second law, we know that the acceleration of an object is directly related to the force exerted on that object and oppositely related to the mass of that object. Since the rocket we launched was so light, it accelerated (because of the force of the fuel), at a greater pace than the other heavier rockets. The rocket, being so light, had an easier time overcoming the opposing forces, allowing it to gather more speed to propel the rocket higher.
Due to Newton’s third law, we know that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The reason that our rocket was able to launch was because when the rocket was filled with pressurized carbon dioxide, the carbon dioxide pressed against all the walls of the bottle with equal force. When we pulled the trigger it allowed one part of the pressurized bottle to be released causing unequal pressure forcing the rocket up into the air until the bottle was once again equally pressurized. As water is pushed out of the bottle backwards, the rocket is pushed forwards. The reaction, or motion, of the rocket away from the launched pad is equal to and opposite from the thrust of the engine or nozzle.
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