The Rocket Report

Joshua Nguyen
The Academy for Math, Engineering
& Science
Written for

Mr. Douglas Hendrickss

Honors Physics Class

Abstract
The rocket project is simply the lab that reviews all of what has learned
about kinematics and dynamics. It is a four lab project that also have us test
our lab skills. The first lab is finding the force of a rocket using a rail and a
force gauge. The second lab is finding the drag coefficient using a wind
tunnel and a protractor. The third lab is finding the projected height with a
spreadsheet using the number that were acquired in the first and second
labs. The fourth and last lab is finding the actual heights by launching the
rockets.
Here are the results:
Rocket
White
Red/Yellow
Red/Silver

Prediction in Meters
28
63
32

Actual in Meters
21
63
27

Introduction
The Rocket Project is a fun and in depth lab that combines all the physics
that has been learned to answer the question; how high will the rocket fly?
The lab is a conglomerate of everything that has been learned. The lab is a
review of the study of Dynamics and Kinematics. Kinematics is the study of
motion, while Dynamics is the study of forces and how they affect motion.
The rocket lab also introduces impulse, momentum, drag force, and drag
coefficient. Impulse is the driving force, momentum is the quantity of
motion of a moving body, drag force is the air resistance, and the drag
coefficient is a number of the ratio of the drag on a body moving through
air.
In order to derive impulse momentum theorem, one first starts with force is
equal to mass times acceleration.
F=ma
Acceleration is then substituted with delta V over Delta T because that is
what acceleration is defined as.
DeltaT * F = m * Delta V
The deltas for each V and T are then broken down into their final minus
initial. And since time initial is always zero, delta is just t final.

F * t = m(vf - vi)
F * t = mvf mvi
Since mass times velocity is the definition of momentum, P would be
substituted in and the derivation is now complete.
F * t = DeltaP
In the lab, different types of rocket engines were encountered (B6, C6, A8).
What the letter means on the rocket engines is the impulse. For A, the total
impulse is 2.5; for B, it is 5; for C, it is 10 and so forth. For the number, it is
simply the average thrust of an engine. The higher the number, the more
the average thrust.
During the prediction part of the lab, a technique was used called numerical
iteration. What that means is that the numbers were plugged in rather than
being solved by equations. The equations assumes that the acceleration is
constant but it is not constant in actuality. It is easier using numerical
iteration because the errors of not using the equations are so small it does
not matter the lab purposes.

Engine Thrust Analysis

In the first part of the lab, the result was to find how much thrust was being
launched out of the rocket engine measured by a force gauge.
The setup was a track, with a rail car and a force gauge on it.

It was on a slightly inclined bench to prevent the rail car from sliding off the
track. Before the rocket was launched, a TI calculator was set up to
measure and force being exerted by the rocket with Data-Mate. The force
sensor is plugged into the receiver on the calculator and the settings were
modified to accurately measure the force. We first zeroed the gauge with
the rail car in position. Then the time graph was set up to record data every
tenth of a second for three seconds, for thirty samples. There was a prestore of ten percent to see what was happening before and after the event.
Then the rocket would be fired off once the trigger was ready and everyone
was ready. An electrical spark was used to ignite the rocket and it fired off.
The information would then be used from the calculator to find out what
rocket was used.
The data from the graph:
Time
0 - .2
.3
.4
.5
.6
.7
.8
.9
.10
.11

Force in Newtons
0
.33
.76
5.37
10.42
4.83
4.43
4.25
4.25
4.19

Area
0
.033
.076
.537
1.042
.483
.443
.425
.425
.419

.12
.13
.14
.15
.16
.17
.18 - .30

4.16
3.46
.30
.15
.12
.09
0

.416
.346
.030
.015
.012
.009
0

Graph:

In the experiment, the rail car got off the track and might have caused the
rocket to not reach its maximum potential of hitting the force gauge, so the
numbers are slightly lower than average.
In order to find what type of rocket was bring used, first one would figured
out the area of the graph under the curve by finding the area in each of the
tenth of a second interval and add it all up together. The area is 4.711 and
the area is the impulse because impulse is Time x Newtons.
After finding the area one would compare the different rocket motor
classifications. Since the total impulse was 4.711 and the error caused a
slight drop off of force, the best classification of the rocket launched is a
class B rocket because the class B rockets total impulse is 5 and the
number was close to 5 and not 5 because of the error.
To find the average force, add up the total force and divide it by the total
amount of time. The average force is 5.16 Newtons. Since the error caused
a drop off in force again, the best classification of the rocket is a type 6
rocket for a B6 rocket engine.
If the lab had a rail where the car didnt come off the results would have
had better but other than that the lab was quite conclusive.
The conclusion is that the rocket was powered by a class B6 rocket.

Drag Force
In the next part, the result was to find the drag coefficient of a rocket being
launched after derivation and solving for the drag force.
The setup for the lab was a wind tunnel with a rocket in it and a protractor
behind it and the wind blew constant speed into the tunnel. But before that,
an equation was needed to be derived that got us the force of drag using a
ping pong ball as an example. Then the drag coefficient was calculated of a
ping pong ball and the rocket inside the wind tunnel, and lastly the drag
force was founded and coefficient of the rocket was also founded.

The first step to finding the drag coefficient is deriving an equation to find
the drag force of a ping pong ball as an example. First a free body diagram
was drawn of a ping pong ball as if it were being blown away with the wind.

Then the tension was broken into its vertical and horizontal components.
Using Newtons second law two equations of the forces were found on the
ping pong ball; one for the vertical and one for the horizontal.
Vertical
-mg + Tcos = 0

Horizontal
Fd Tsin = 0

Since there are two unknowns in the equation, we would use substitute
method and solve for one and put it in the other. Since Tcos = mg, T is
now mg/cos. And if you substitute T in for the equation Tsin = Fd, you
get that:
Fd = mgsin/cos
So the 12 m/s wind pushes the ping pong ball to an angle of 73 degrees, and
the mass of the ball is .0023 kg, we can plug those numbers into the
equation:
Fd = (.0023 kg)(9.80 m/s)(sin73) / (cos 73)
And the answer we get is that Fd = .737 N.
Using a given equation that physicist have found out about experimentally,
Fd = Hd v^2, we can find the drag coefficient by dividing by v^2 and
plugging in the numbers. The wind speed is 12 m/s for the ping pong ball.
Kd = Fd / V^2
Kd = .737 / 12 m/s
Kd = .0005
That is our drag coeffiecnt of the ping pong ball.
The next step to finding the drag coefficient of the rocket is to find the drag
coefficient of the ping pong ball. First we have to find the speed of the wind
tunnel. Using Hendrickss wind speed measurement tool, we came to find
out that the speed was 34 m/s
Now we find the drag coefficient for the small yellow rocket, the part where
the actual lab took place. It is 61 grams and the angle of the rocket with the
wind at 34 m/s was 30 degrees. Using the force of drag equation we can
find the answer using the numbers we got and plug that number to the drag
coefficient equation.
Fd = mgsin/cos
Fd = (.61 kg)(9.80 m/s)(sin30) / (cos 30)

Fd = .345 = .3 N (because of sig figs)

Kd = Fd / V^2
Kd = .345 / 34 m/s
Kd = .0003
Lastly we find the drag coefficient of the larger rocket, the rocket that we
are going to launch.
Since the larger rocket couldnt be tested because it was too big to fit in the
wind tunnel, we would have to use an educated guess to find the drag
coefficient. Since the smaller rockets coefficient is .0003 and the ping pong
balls coefficient is .0005, we can assume that the larger rockets coefficient
is .0004. Why? Because the ping pong ball has roughly the same shape and
size when viewing it from the front, but the rocket is shaped so it is
aerodynamic, while the ping pong ball is not.
In the end, the larger rockets estimated coefficient is .0004.

Numerical Model
After the drag force, a spreadsheet was used to determine the height of a
rocket at any given time and the maximum height based off various
variables.
The spreadsheet was given a weight of a rocket in kilograms and the drag
coefficient of the rocket. Then the thrust data of the rocket that was
inserted with the rocket body was inserted into the spreadsheet and that
would give out various data recorded every tenth of a second.
The first thing that the spreadsheet calculates is the average thrust. To find
average thrust, the equation (Thr1 + Thr2)/2 would be used; take the 2
thrusts and divide by 2. Next would be the Drag force, (Fd = Kdv^2).
Multiply the drag coefficient by the velocity squared. Average net force
(Thr[ave] mg - Fd) is calculated by taking the average force and
subtracting it from the force of gravity, mass and the force of drag. The
average net impulse (F[net] * DeltaT) is calculated by multiplying the net
force by the time (final minus initial). Initial velocity is simply the last
number the final velocity from the previous row. To find the final velocity (Vi
+ F[net] DeltaT/m), the initial velocity would be added to the net force
multiplied by time (final minus inital) divided by the mass. The average

velocity (v1 + v2 / 2) is simply the initial velocity added with the final
velocity and divide it by 2. Initial and final heights method to solve was
exactly the same as the velocity. For the final (hi + v[ave] * DeltaT) take the
initial height and add it to the average velocity and multiply it by the time
(final - inital).
To find the maximum height, one would simply look at the last column and
look at the biggest number on the column.
The table of our predictions:
A8
B6
C6
Red/yellow
63
132
281
White
28
75
195
Red/black
24
67
184
In order to find out how much air resistance affects the prediction, the drag
coefficient was zero, and the results were be wildly off. In an example with a
white rocket and with a C6 engine, the maximum height of the rocket would
be 404 meters, which is crazily twice as much as the rocket with air
resistance. That is why factoring in air resistance is so important.

Flight Results
Lastly, the rockets were launched outside to determine whether the
predicted heights compared to the actual heights.
Using a field next to the school, the rockets were launched in a central
location using different combinations of rockets and engines. The results
were gathered and compared with the predicted data.
Measuring the heights outside required using three people with protractors
with a string with a small weight on the end. The protractors were used to
measure the angle of the rocket at its maximum height from the spot of
where they were. The protractor measured by having the string and weight
remain vertical, while the protractor was pointed at the rocket. Then, at the
maximum angle, the angle on the protractor was recorded where the string
hangs on what angle. The three people with protractors were placed 50
meters away from the launch pad. The reason why three people were used
was to find the angle was because the rockets rarely go straight up and one
person would not give a reliable measurement. Three people are spread out

evenly to find the angle from three different points and average the angles
out to give a better approximation.

In order to solve for the height, simple trigonometry was used. Since it was
known how far the person was away from the launch pad and what the
angle of the rocket was from the ground, we used tangent to find the height
because the adjacent and the opposite sides from the angle are known, and
the hypotenuse was not needed.

Example: 50 degrees measured and 50 meters away.

Tan(50)= x / 50
50tan(50) = x
X = 60 meters is the height.
After the launch with rockets, this was the data recorded for all the
launched.
Rocket
White
Black/Red
Red/Yello
w
Red/Silver
Red/Silver

Engine
A
C
A

Angle 1
23
70
50

Angle 2
20
60
55

Angle 3
22
63
48

Average
21.7
64.3
51

A
C

30
65

25
60

23
83

26.7
69.3

The actual heights compared to the predictions.

Rocket
White
Black/Red
Red/Yellow
Red/Silver
Red/Silver

Prediction in Meters
28
184
63
32
204

Actual in Meters
21
105
63
27
134

The heights for some were significantly lower because the model for the
prediction assumed that the rocket was going in a straight line, and rarely
would an actual rocket be going in a
straight line. Other factors would include the wind speed, and the condition
of the rocket.
The lab went well for some rockets; maybe it was just pure skill because on
one of the launches, the predication was exactly the same with the actual
height.

Conclusion
Rocket
White
Red/Yellow
Red/Silver

Prediction in Meters
28
63
32

Actual in Meters
21
63
27

The results were close for some, perfect for one, and a long ways away for
others. There were quite a few factors for why it was not perfect. Some of
the rockets werent perfect first off. Two rockets had crooked or broken fins.
The launch pad itself wasnt exactly straight up and the wind may have
been a major contributor to our results. The errors of out three angle
reporters may have also played a role in the results.
To get better results, the factors that caused the inaccurate predictions
would simply be removed. This would give the actual results the best
chance of matching the predictions.

Reflection
I really enjoyed this project and I thought it was a great project that brings
physics into real life applications. There were lots of difficulties in this lab.

First off, doing the reports is a pain and it takes a long time, but I enjoy the
outcomes of it. The lab was so long! I was amazed that I got through it. It
did get me one thing, getting me prepared for the lots of writing and typing
and reading that I will encounter soon.