Rockets Away:

Quadratics and Newtons Third Law of Motion

Background:
Sir Isaac Newton (1643 1727) was an English physicist, mathematician,
astronomer, natral philosopher, alchemist, an! theologian an! one o" the
most in"lential men in hman history# $is %hilosophi& Natralis
%rincipia 'athematica, p(lishe! in 16)7, is consi!ere! to (e the most
in"lential (oo* in the history o" science, laying the gron!wor* "or most
o" classical mechanics# In this wor*, Newton !escri(e! ni+ersal
gra+itation an! the three laws o" motion which !ominate! the scienti"ic
+iew o" the physical ni+erse "or the ne,t three centries#
1
Newton-s laws o" motion can (e .alitati+ely smmari/e! (y the statement that changes in motion
o" o(0ects are case! (y "orces acting on them# 1hs, any o(0ect e,periencing acceleration is
necessarily n!er the in"lence o" a "orce#
2
1he lanching o" a roc*et can (e e,plaine! (y Newton2s thir! law o" motion3 "or e+ery action there
is an e.al an! opposite reaction# 4n a +ery (asic le+el, a roc*et is a pressri/e! gas cham(er# 5s
gas escapes throgh a small opening at one en!, the roc*et mst (e propelle! in the opposite
!irection as state! (y Newton2s thir! law# 1he "orce that propels the roc*et is calle! thrst, as note!
in the !iagram
3
(elow3
1he "light o" a mo!el roc*et "ollows a para(olic path an! e,hi(its pro0ectile motion# 5 pro0ectile is
an o(0ect pon which the only "orce acting is gra+ity# 4nce the roc*et (rns its "el, inertia carries
the roc*et pwar! ntil the pll o" gra+ity "orces it (ac* to earth# 1he roc*et2s pro0ectile motion can
(e !escri(e! sing a simple .a!ratic "nction#
Investigation:
Part : !onstructing a Rocket
1o (etter n!erstan! the relationship (etween .a!ratics an! Newton2s 1hir! 6aw o" 'otion, yo
will constrct an! "ly a water (ottle roc*et# 1he roc*et mst meet the "ollowing gi!elines3
7o!y mst (e ma!e "rom a 2 liter so!a (ottle
8ins ("or wor*s well) can (e constrcte! "rom hea+y car!(oar!, attache! with !ct tape,
an! shol! not e,ten! (eyon! the nec* o" the (ottle
Nose cone shol! ha+e a small mass (a small (ag o" san! insi!e the cone wor*s well)
1he (o!y "ust remain water9tight: !o not ct or hot9gle the (ottle
Re"e"#er: the (ottom o" the (ottle is the top o" the roc*et: !o not co+er the (ottle opening
Part $: %&ying the Rocket
;o will ha+e one opportnity to lanch yor roc*et# 8or yor "light, yo will nee! to recor! the
"ollowing !ata3
Live %&ight 'ata
(o&u"e of )ater *"L+ Pressure *,si+ Ti"e -, *sec+
*to nearest tenth+
Ti"e 'own *sec+ *to
nearest tenth+
;or "light will also (e recor!e! on +i!eo# <hen yo are "ilming, (e sre to captre the entire
"light path so that yo can e,tract time !ata "rom the +i!eo#
Part .: 'escri#ing %&ight Mathe"atica&&y/Quadratic %unctions
'athematicians ha+e !e+elope! a "ormla "or !escri(ing pro0ectile motion# 1his .a!ratic "nction
can (e e,presse! as3
= =
2
2
1
) ) # > ( ) ( h t v t t h + + =
t ? time in secon!s
h(t) ? height in meters a"ter a certain amont o" time3 e,ample h(2) means height a"ter 2 secon!s#
+
o
? starting +ertical +elocity or +ertical +elocity in m@s when time ? = secon!s
h
o
? starting height in meters or height when time ? = secon!s
acceleration !e to gra+ity is 9>#) m@s
2
I" we assme that the initial height an! +elocity are /ero, the ma,imm height o" the roc*et can (e
calclate! sing 1ime Ap an! 1ime Bown# 1o calclate the ma,imm height o" yor roc*et (ase!
on 1ime Ap an! 1ime Bown, yo will nee! to !etermine the +erte, o" the para(ola# E,plain why#
1# <rite the e,pression "or "in!ing the ,9coor!inate o" the +erte, o" a para(ola#
2# S(stitte yor *nown +ales "or +aria(les CxD an! CaD (CxD ? time p an! CaD can (e
!etermine! "orm the e.ation at the top) to !etermine +aria(le CbD in E1#
3# Asing the stan!ar! "orm "or a .a!ratic c bx ax y + + =
2
s(stitte appropriate +ales "or
the +aria(les a, b an! c# 1hen rewrite yor e.ation sing h(t) "or y, an! t "or x.
4# 8in! the ma,imm height (the ,9coor!inate o" the +erte,) sing Ti"e -,#
F# Gepeat steps E193 a(o+e to "in! the ma,imm height (the ,9coor!inate o" the +erte,) sing
Ti"e 'own#
6# In theory, Ti"e -, an! Ti"e 'own shol! (e e.al# I" these +ales were not e.al "or
yor roc*et, e,plain what col! case them to !i""er# <hich time +ale (Ap or Bown)
wol! pro!ce a more accrate height calclationH
7# Boes it ma*e sense to a!0st yor e.ation at this pointH I" yes, ma*e proper changes#
4therwise, choose the e.ation yo thin* pro!ces the more accrate height an! enter it into
yor graphing calclator# 5!0st the win!ows an! scale so yor para(ola "its yor screen#
)# 7elow, write the +ales yo chose "or ,9min, ,9ma,, ,9scl, y9min, y9ma,, y9scl#
># 4n gri! paper, !raw an accrate graph o" yor e.ation, la(eling a,es an! sing appropriate
scales#
1=# Asing either yor e.ation or the ta(le "rom yor calclator, at what point(s) in time !oes3

a# h ? F m
(# h ? 1F m

c# h ? 2F m
Part 0: 'escri#ing the %&ight Mathe"atica&&y/%i&" 'ata
Import yor "light +i!eo into the compter# 1he playhea! in the e!iting so"tware will mar* time to
1@2> o" a secon! (each secon! o" motion on "ilm is compose! o" 2> still "rames)# 'o+e the
playhea! to !etermine the (1) 1ime Ap an! (2) 1ime Bown "or yor roc*et#
%i&" %&ight 'ata
Ti"e -, *sec+ Ti"e 'own *sec+
1# Gecalclate the ma,imm height o" yor roc*et sing either 1ime Ap or 1ime Bown
(choose the more accrate o" the two) "rom yor "ilm "light !ata3
2# <hat is the +elocity o" the roc*et on impact ((ase! on the "ilm !ata)H Hint: consider
acceleration due to gravity and time
Part 1: Mode&ing the %&ight/!o",uter 2i"u&ation
1here is no s(stitte "or real9worl! !ata, (t simlations can (e +ery se"l (an! accrate) tools#
<ater Goc*et 8n "rom See!s So"tware can mo!el the "light characteristics o" a water (ottle roc*et#
4pen this program an! on the 2et -, ta(, enter the !ata "or yor roc*et3
8rom the %&ight Ta#, ClanchD the roc*et an! recor! the "light !ata (elow3
Ti"e *s+ Ma3 4eight *"+ Ma3 (e&ocity *"5s+
3# $ow !o these +ales compare to the time, height, an! +elocity +ales yo calclate! sing
yor "iel! !ataH 8ilm !ataH Bo yo thin* they are more or less accrateH <hyH
8rom the 6ra,h Ta#, plot the $eight +s# 1ime "or the "light (p an! !own)3
4# $ow !oes this compare to the graph yo ma!e "or the "iel! !ataH 5t what points in time
!oes3
a# h ? Fm
(# h ? 1Fm
c# h ? 2Fm
!onc&usion:
1he in+estigation yo con!cte! tili/e! Newton2s 1hir! 6aw o" 'otion to illstrate a .a!ratic
"nction# 7y measring !ata in the "iel!, on "ilm, an! +ia a simlation, yo ha+e three comparisons
"or yor roc*et lanch#
1# In yor st!y o" secon! !egree e.ations, yo !isco+ere! that a .a!ratic e.ation may
ha+e one soltion, two soltions or no soltions# E,plain how that "act relates to the Goc*et
%ro0ect#
2# Biscss areas where yor !ata "it an! areas where it !i! not "it in the three comparisons#