3,2,1-BLASTOFF!!!

Forthisproject,wewillbeinvestigatingrockets!GettingoffEarthandtowardsasolar
systemdestinationisexciting.Howdoweknowwecangetwherewewanttogo?
Engineeringdesignisimportanttohelpingusreachourgoals.Forthisengagement,
youwillusethestepsoftheengineeringdesignprocessinordertoobserve,question,
test,andacquireresultsfromyourrocketexperiment.

BackgroundResearch
ExploretheNASAlinkandanswerthequestionsbelowwithapartner.(Bothofyou
musttypeyourresponsesonyourowndocument.)

1. Whatdoyounoticeaboutrocketsandlaunches?
Inoticethatmostrocketshaveanosecone.Inoticethatlaunchesalwayshaveatower
ononesideofarockettoholdit.Ialsonoticedthatrocketshavedifferenttypesofnose
cones.Inoticedthatittakesalotoffueltolauncharocket.

2. Dodifferentrocketsand/orlauncheshaveanythingincommon?Listany
similarities.Therocketsareallreallyloud.Theyallhavenoses.Ittookalotof
fueltolaunchalloftherockets.

3. Lookspecificallyatthenoseconesofseveralrockets.
a. Arethereanydifferences?
Someofthenosesweresharpandpointy.Somewereshortandround.
Somewerelongandflat.

b. Whatdoyouthinkwouldhappenifadifferentnoseconewereused?


c. Maybeifitwereshorter,longer,ordidnthaveone?



 d. Whatdoyoupredictwouldhappentothedistancearocketwilltravelif
changesweremadetothecone?

YourResearchQuestion
Howwillchangestoarocketsnoseconelengthaffectthedistancetherocketwill
travel?

1. Yourhypothesis:Ithinkthatmyquarterinchnoseconerocketdidnt
goasfarasmyhalfinchnoseconerocketbecausemyquarterinch
rocketwasnotasaerodynamicasmyhalfinchnoseconerocket.

2. Yourconclusion:
a. Whatnoseconelengthsdidyouteamuse?
Mynoseconelengthswereaquarterinchandhalfinch.

b. Whathappenedtothedistancetraveledwhenyouhadalongernose
cone?
Myrocketwentfartherthanmyshorternoseconerocket.

c. Whathappenedtothedistancetraveledwhenyouhadashorternose
cone?Myrocketwentshorterbyabout2ft.

d. Whydoyouthinktheseresultshappened?
Thenoseconelengthdetermineswhetherornotitisaerodynamic.

e. Didyouhaveanyproblemsduringtheinvestigationthatmighthave
changedthedistancetraveled?yes,therocketstucktothestrawabit.

f. Wasyourpredictionsupported?
No
g. Ifyes,whatevidencedoyouhavethatyourpredictionwassupported?If
no,whydoyouthinkitwasnotsupported?ItwasnotsupportedbecauseI
didntpredict.

h. Otherthannoseconelength,give3examplesofvariablesthatmightbe
changingthedistancetraveled:
i. length

ii. Noseconelength

iii. Lessormoretape

i. Pickoneoftheexamplesandgiveahypothesisastowhythisvariable
mightchangethedistancetraveledoftherocket.Thenoseconelength
becauseitwouldmakeitmoreaerodynamic.

Data

Lengthof Trial#1 Trial#2 Trial#3 Trial#4 Trial#5 Notes

NoseCone

Distancetraveledincm

Control: 12ft1in. 14ft2.5ni. 11ft0.5in. Isawit

flew
shorter
thanI
thought.

17ft.5in. 13ft.5in.

14ft.2in. 11ft.9in.

Myimpressiononflyingthestrawrocket
outside.
ThefirsttimeIlaunchedwithmyfirstrocketwiththewindmytrajectorywas
straightanddistancewasabout3feet.Thesecondtimeagainstthewindwithmyfirst
rocketmytrajectorywasupatanangle,butmydistancewasonly4feet.

ThefirsttimeIflewmysecondrocketwiththewindthetrajectorywasup,and
thedistancewas6feet.ThefirsttimeIflewmysecondrocketagainstthewind

Ithinkthatmshorterrocketwentfarther