WATER ROCKETS

WATER ROCKETS: Here is your opportunity to build a high flying self designed two liter plastic bottle water rocket that will knock Brett Favre’s passes out of the sky. The object is to see which team's rocket design can reach the greatest distance. Ingenuity and innovation are a big part of the design process. Fins, nosecones, elongated bodies for ultimate aerodynamics should be designed and tested to see which can blastoff highest.

RULES AND SUPPLIES

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

1. Use only under adult supervision.

2. Use the launching platform at all times. Do not launch any rockets unless the launcher is securely attached to a stationary board.

3. Never stand directly over the rockets after it is mounted to be launched.

4. Select your launch angle from those allowed by the stops on the board.

5. Always use the pull string to launch the rocket. Pull parallel to the ground away from the pump and launcher.

6. Metal fins or nose cone are not permitted for safety reasons

SUPPLIES

1. One or more two-liter plastic soda bottles. Test your bottle for tightness of fit on the launcher before construction. There is significant variation in the size of individual bottle mouths.

2. Materials for fins and a nosecone: Cardboard has been used, but remember its going to get wet, soggy, and, probably crash during your test launches, so try to come up with something that's going to last longer than a single flight, or have quickly replaceable parts.

CONTEST RULES

1. All rockets will be launched using plain water as the propellant.

2. The maximum pressure for a single launch is 50 pounds per square inch (psi) using the official bicycle pump.

3. Contestants may select any desired launch angle and amount of water in the bottle. More water means more fuel but also more weight; it also changes the weight distribution of the rocket at the start of its flight.

4. Each contestant will have two official launch attempts. The farther of the two will be recorded as the final distance.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT:

You have to figure out the equation that would model the path of your rocket. DON’T FREAK OUT! You can do this. We’ll talk more about it when the time comes, and you can use a graphing calculator if it helps.

Grading Sheet for Water Rocket - Science Contest 2005

Name_________________________________Date___________Blk _________

Log - This record should include a complete list of the work that was done while completing this part of the science contest.

It must have:

A. Dates and days the work was done. (2 pts.)

B. The amount of time spent working on these dates and days. (3pts.)

C. Designs

1. Original drawings and measurements

that describe the first rocket design. (0-5pts.)

2. Why this design originally? (0-5pts.)

3. A series of design changes that show

the intermediate steps or changes in

the construction process. (0-5pts.)

4. The final design with its labeled

parts and measurements. (0-5pts.)

D. Measurements + Parts

1. Are the measurements clearly shown?

Length, height, volume of water and

amount of pressure. (0-5pts.)

2. Distances it flew during preliminary

and final tests. (0-5pts.)

E. Descriptions –

1. What events led to the changes in the final design? (0-5pts.)

2. What equation best models the path your rocket took? How

high did it go (you can figure this out from your equation!) (0-5pts.)

3. Discuss how you used info from your research in designing (0-5pts.)

your rocket, and cite your sources.

Conclusions and Analysis- See guidelines for final summary report. (0-10pts.)

Place in contest ______________________ +(0-3pts.)

If all work done at school, add 2 points. +(2pts.)

Total (60 pts.)

Percent ________________ Grade _______________

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