To prepare for the activity we need to spend some time designing the experiment

properly according to the scientific method and our Lab/Experiment Write-Up

--Scientific Method checklist.
In your groups:
1. Make a copy and rename the file according to: Rocket Lab Activity
2. File this document in your Motion, Forces and Energy folder within you
Science Folder
3. Complete the document

Partner names:
Valeri and Andrey

Purpose or Question to Investigate (What do you want to learn?):
How does the change in the mass and the shape of the rocket affect the
speed of the rocket? Will the rocket go faster and further? When we modify
the rocket, what the deviation is going to be from the straight line the straw is
flying?

I would like to see which changes will make the rocket fly farther.

- We added a circle to replace the two ones - smaller mass
- We have wings that are in the shape of a triangle on the top of the straw.

Background Information (Find out as much as you can using books, the Internet,
interviews, etc.) :
We changed the bottle each time, because after each test, the bottle is
squeezed and less air goes inside. So we use new 500ml bottles.
We also changed the straw one time.

In order the straw to fly, It applies the three laws of Newton:

Newtons First Law - the rocket will stay at rest, unless a force acts on it.

Newtons Second Law F=ma - To calculate the acceleration we need to have
the mass and the force applied. The larger force of the air pushed from the
bottle will lead to greater acceleration. If the straw is too heavy / bigger mass
/ the acceleration will be slow.

Newtons Third Law - the straw will not fly if the air doesnt push it. The rising
air pressure of the launch straw <-action; the straw gets pushed <-reaction.

Hypothesis (Educated guess: " If we...(do something) then...(this will occur)"):
1. I think, if we replace the two circles with just one circle, the straw will fly
farther. I expect this to happen because according to Newtons Second
law, if we take a smaller mass, it will result in a greater acceleration.
2. I also think that if we put a triangle on the front of the rocket this would
make the straw fly in a straight line and it will land better and it will have
better aerodynamics.
3.


Materials:
The base is made of a plastic bottle 500 ml
We have clay at the narrow end of the bottle
We have two straws representing tubes that air goes through
On the second straw we have a big circle made of paper
At the end we have clay on the top of the second straw so the air
doesnt go out.
ruler
index card

Steps or procedure:
1. We first take an empty plastic bottle.
2. After we put the first straw halfway in the bottle, we put the clay so the
straw is sticked in and out of the bottle.
3. Then we put the second straw to the first one. At the end we put a small
amount of clay at the end of the second straw so the air doesnt go out.
4. The next step we make a big paper circle and attach it to the second straw.
5. Launch rocket
6. Record the distance the rocket travels
7. repeat launch with the different type of circle



Variables:
What is your independent variable? The distance that the bottle flies.
What is your dependent variable? The force - the amount, of air - in our case 500ml
What is your control? The design of the straw.
Examples of each type of variable

Observations and data collection (Use a table using a spreadsheet):



Data table: Distance the rocket travel unmodified and modified


Studen
t name trial
distanc
e (cm)
describ
e
motion
size
of
bottl
e (ml)
average
distance
for
UNMODIFIED
rocket (cm)
average
distance for
modified
rocket (cm)
description of
modification
made

Valeri &
Andrey 1 222 turn 40 500 137,25 188.5
We created one
circle which
represents the
two circles before
and we added
wings.
Valeri &
Andrey 2 150 turn 50 500 137.25 188.5
We created one
circle which
represents the
two circles before
and we added
wings.
Valeri &
Andrey 3 170 turn 30 500 137.25 188.5
We created one
circle which
represents the
two circles before
and we added
wings.
Valeri &
Andrey 4 212 turn 20 500 137.25 188.5
We created one
circle which
represents the
two circles before
and we added
wings.





Analysis:
Based on the database we collected, it is clear that the modified rocket, which
has better aerodynamic shape and less mass, flies farther, and in a more
straight line. All the measurements prove the second law of Newton: F=ma.
When we shoot the rocket with the same force (500 ml water bottle) and have
smaller mass (we replace the two circles with one circle) the acceleration is
greater. Also, the wings at the front of the straw helps the rocket go in a
straight line. It makes it more aerodynamic and with better landing. From our
database we can see that the distance that the modified rocket, flies is bigger
that the unmodified.


Conclusion:
I can conclude that the shape and the mass of the rocket does affect the
acceleration of the rocket. My hypothesis that the modified rocket with
smaller mass will have better acceleration, is supported by the fact that the
smaller shape has less surface area, creating less drag on the rocket, so it
can fly farther.


Errors:
Well, on the first tries we forgot to put clay at the back of the straw, so
the air was just going through the straw; We blocked the small straw
and we had to cut it.

We changed the bottle each time, because after each test, the bottle is
squeezed and less air goes inside. So we use new 500ml bottles. We also
changed the straw one time.