Emma Burgin Mr.

Supal IDS 3 30 October 2012 Building a Rocket Engineering Problem: To determine how factors such as fin surface area, tube diameter, tube length, center of pressure, and center of mass effect the hang time of a model rocket. Engineering Hypothesis: Fins with large surface area but an aerodynamic design will allow the rocket to be the most balanced, therefore it will fly better than one with smaller wings. Review of Literature: NASA has sent many expeditions to the moon in the past and the journey was made possible by a rocket. Those rockets used had to start at a much smaller scale first. Small model rockets are built to calculate predictions for the results of the real rocket when sending a real person to space. Rocket designing and building has been the biggest part in learning about the solar system for decades. This engineering project required the designing, building and launching of a model rocket. They were launched and observed to determine the height of the rockets. The goal was for the rockets to go as high as possible. To gain the most height, models have to built with quality materials. The ideal rocket would be strong, light and sturdy. The rockets need strength to be durable. It should not fall apart in the air. It also needs to be light so that it travels

long distances easily and effectively. The materials used for this model rocket met both of these requirements and thus reached great heights when launched. Materials: Cardboard Tubing Plastic Egg Half Engine Tube Styrofoam Fin Cutouts Clear Garbage Bag Procedure: 1. Start by taking the pre-cut cardboard tube and attaching the four fins on the bottom of the tube with the hot glue gun. The sharp end (tip) of the fin(s) should be pointing away from the tube. Place the insulation inside the center of the tube. Place the engine holder inside the tube at the same end as the fins were attached. Cut two rubber bands and tie them together at the ends. 2. Take the garbage bag plastic and cut a circle 11 inches (or more) in diameter. Cut 6 strings of 16 inch twine. Attach evenly to outer sides of the parachute by cutting small holes and then tying them to the space in between the hole and the outer side of the parachute. Tie the ends of the 6 strings together and attach them to the end of the tied rubber band. 3. Glue the other side (not tied to 6 strings) of the rubber band to the inside of the tube (side that has not been used). Place parachute inside the rocket. Take the plastic egg half and put on top of the rocket. Lightly tape the egg to the tube. Lightly glue the engine inside the engine holder with the hole facing down. Hot Glue Stick 2 Rubberbands Tape Yellow Cap 6 Strings Insulation Hot Glue Gun

Data: The rocket performed fairly well when launched. It was designed and constructed by Emma Burgin. The model flew high to an approximation of 200 feet. The parachute that was used did not get tangled and worked well. It helped the rocket land safely with minimal damages. Observations: Not all of the rockets observed were stable. Some had fins that were much too large and boxy to keep it on course. Smaller tubes with smaller fins seemed to shoot into the air the highest. It was observed that if the nose cone was taped on too tightly, it would not come off and the parachute would not deploy. Parachutes that were not put in the tube correctly also proved to be an issue for some rockets. Overall, it was the small, most aerodynamic and lightweight rockets that had the longest hang time. Diagram:

Figure 1. Diagram of the Rocket Design

Figure 1 shows a diagram of the rocket launched. The diagrams show the rockets in isometric view with annotations showing centers of mass and pressure, rocket mass, rocket length, and tube diameter. Data Analysis, Interpretation and Error: The center of pressure was needed to be found in order for the rockets mass to be evenly dispersed. Comparing the center of pressure to the center of mass was essential to make sure the rocket could function properly. If the center of pressure was in a close range of the center of mass, then the rocket would work correctly. The center of pressure was calculated with a formula, 2F+xD=(L-x)D. F being the surface area of the fin, D being the diameter of the tube, L being the length of the tube and x being the center of pressure. This formula was used for both rockets. Emmas rocket variables were F=7487.14, D=32.77 and L=24905.2. Her center of pressure (x) calculated to be 164.12. This was 342.615mm off of the center of mass. Sonjas rocket variables were F=5517.896, D=34.3 and L=480.47. Her center of pressure (x) calculated to be 247.12. This was 20.84mm off of the center of mass. The performances of both rockets were done correctly only with a few minor errors. Emmas rocket launched properly and it reached maximum height of 142ft, but the parachute was tangled on the descent. A properly folded parachute could have been used to avoid the error. Sonjas rocket launched properly with a maximum height of 139.3ft, but the plastic egg top was taped on too heavily that the parachute never released. A lighter or larger plastic egg (less tight on tube) could have been used to avoid the error.

Conclusion: The final results of the two rockets performances accepted the hypothesis of fins with large surface area but an aerodynamic design will allow the rocket to be the most balanced, therefore it will fly better than one with smaller wings. Both of the rockets flew correctly with the exception of the parachute, descending, and landing. The important items that made this experiment successful were the sturdier material of the cardboard tube, the larger wings, and the aerodynamic design of the rocket. To improve the designs, a more suitable parachute could have been used for both rockets.