Science Experiment Proposal

Effect of Weight on Rocket Altitude
Aaron Most
Liberty University
EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON ROCKET ALTITUDE
Abstract:
Problem/Question:
Purpose: To determine the effect of a rockets weight on the altitude achieved
Problem: Does weight of a rocket effect the altitude of a rocket?
Literature Review:
Five, four, three, two, one and engines roar to life! Watching a rocket launch is a truly motivating
experience for all ages. Model rocketry is an excellent way to study the same scientific principles that NASA
uses when launching rockets to space. Students who engage in model rocketry learn firsthand factors such as
Newtons laws of motion, aerodynamics, thrust, atmospheric conditions, etc. in a practical setting.
One of the biggest issues in rocketry is the weight of the rocket. In a full scale rocket, the majority of the
weight is the rocket fuel. The difficulty in getting a rocket to space is not the altitude, but it is the sideways
trajectory so that the rocket doesnt fall back to earth. The speed it takes to keep a rocket orbiting is tremendous
and takes an enormous amount of fuel. As it burns the fuel, the rocket gets lighter, allowing the thrust to
accelerate the rocket.
In model rocketry however, the engine weight is negligible compared to the rocket itself. As the rocket is
first ignited, hot gasses are forced out of a very tiny opening. According to Newtons third law of motion, every
action has a reaction. The force that is created by the hot gasses is known as thrust which propels the rocket in
the opposite direction. If the thrust of a rocket is directed in the opposite direction as the force of gravity, the
rocket will lift off the ground proportionate to the thrust created by the engine (Nolte, 2012).
Mass has a direct effect on the lift of a rocket (Benson, 2011). Newtons second law of motion describes
this relationship in terms of acceleration occurs when force acts upon a mass. The greater the mass of a rocket,
the more force it will take to accelerate the rocket. If the amount of engine propellant remains constant, the
greater mass will result in a decrease in acceleration. The heavier rocket will not be able to achieve the same
altitudes as a lighter rocket because of this variation with acceleration.
Hypothesis:
If the weight of a rocket is increased in increments of 20 grams, then there will be a proportionate
decrease in the altitude achieved by the rocket, because Newtons second law of motion states that the greater
mass of an object, the greater force it must exert on the object to obtain acceleration.
Materials:
Launch pad
Launch rail
Altimeter
Body tube
Body tube couplers
Transition pieces
Centering rings
Thrust plate
Nose cones
Tail cone
Bulkhead
Rail buttons
Parachute
Motor mounts
Fins
Epoxy
Anemometer
IPad
Video camera
12 volt Battery
F stage engines
Variables:
Independent variable:
The independent variable is the weight of the rocket
Dependent variable:
The dependent variable is the altitude that the rocket will achieve
Controlled variables:
Rocket
Engine type
Fin cant, or how much the rocket will spin.
Environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, etc.
Procedure (National Association of Rocketry):
1. Obtain materials for rocket build

2. Engineer and design rocket for specific specifications.
a. Rocket will contain a body, an engine mount, and a nose cone that will contain the weight.
b. This rocket must be able to be launched multiple times without specifications being altered.
3. Obtain commercially-made model rocket motor stage F; ensuring that they will deliver the same amount
of thrust every time.
4. Prepare rocket for launching
a. Pack the parachute so that it is done the same way every time
b. Load the engine into engine mount
5. Set up launch site
a. Establish launch command in an open space
b. Set up launch pad
c. Take measurements of environmental factors, especially wind and launch rail angle.
d. Set control system with safety interlock in series with the launch switch, and will use a launch
switch that returns to the off position when released (National Association of Rocketry, 2012).
e. If my rocket does not launch when I press the button of my electrical launch system, I will
remove the launchers safety interlock or disconnect its battery, and will wait 60 seconds after
the last launch attempt before allowing anyone to approach the rocket (NAR, 2012).
6. Launch Prep
a. Load rocket onto launch rail
b. Connect electrical leads to the ignition switch
c. Load altimeter into the rocket
d. Complete a check over of rocket condition, electrical wiring, and environmental factors
e. Set a safety circle of 15 feet
f. Ensure that everyone is paying attention and is at a safe distance of at least 30 feet (NAR, 2012).
7. Launching:
a. Launcher will call out a safety circle
b. Launcher will connect leads to power source
c. Launcher will insert safety key
d. Launcher will call out a countdown , proceeding to launch the rocket at 1
8. Recovery System.

a.
Watch rockets flight in order to mark the spot where it will return to earth
b. Do not attempt to catch the rocket or recover my rocket from power lines, tall trees, or other
dangerous places (NAR, 2012).
Data Collection:
After each launch, the altimeter saves a digital readout of time and altitude for that given launch.
The time scale is different for each launch, because time is read in certain intervals comparing to the launch of
the rocket. It also records major milestones of the rockets ascent, which are not shown in the chart. Also, the
data shows the averages for three launches at each weight.
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1
Data Analysis:
15
16
Conclusion:
After many trials and launches, there are many interesting correlations from the data. According
to the second and third laws of motion, as more weight is added to the rocket there should be an altitude
decrease. The 500g rocket did reach the highest altitude of 267.7 meters. Contrary to what was
hypothesized however, the 560g rocket reached the next highest altitude with 262.4 meters. This was
closely followed by the 580g rocket reached the next highest altitude with 261.9 meters. These results
contradict the hypothesized result.

There were many aspects of this experiment that were affected by experimental error.
Controlling the environmental conditions proved difficult as there are so many factors that are at play
with rocketry. Temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, atmospheric pressure, and cloud
cover are all environmental factors that would have led to errors in the data. To counteract this error,
several launches at each weight were conducted. However, in order to truly see the effect of weight on
altitude without environmental error, more than just 3 launches at each weight would have to be
conducted.
This would be a consideration for future experiments. Conducting more trials at each weight
would give a more accurate depiction of how weight effects altitude. Another interesting question that
would stem from this experiment would be whether the weight placement affects the rockets altitude.
The weight in this experiment was all placed in the nose cone. What would happen if the weight was
placed in a different location inside the rocket? Finally, how does fin-cant effect altitude? Canting the
fins of a rocket results in a spinning motion in flight, much like the rifling of a gun barrel produces spin
on a bullet. Canting the fins produces a much more stable flight pattern but energy is lost during the spin
resulting in lost altitude.
References
Benson, T. (2011, July 9). Rocket Principles. Retrieved November 3, 2014.

Model Rocket Safety Code. (2012, August 1). Retrieved November 3, 2014.
Nolte, S. (2012, January 1). Science and Model Rockets. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
17

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Effect of Weight on Rocket Altitude

EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON ROCKET ALTITUDE

EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON ROCKET ALTITUDE

Procedure (National Association of Rocketry):

1. Obtain materials for rocket build

EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON ROCKET ALTITUDE

EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON ROCKET ALTITUDE

EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON ROCKET ALTITUDE

EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON ROCKET ALTITUDE

EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON ROCKET ALTITUDE

EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON ROCKET ALTITUDE

EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON ROCKET ALTITUDE

EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON ROCKET ALTITUDE

EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON ROCKET ALTITUDE

EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON ROCKET ALTITUDE

EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON ROCKET ALTITUDE

EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON ROCKET ALTITUDE

EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON ROCKET ALTITUDE

contradict the hypothesized result.

EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON ROCKET ALTITUDE

Benson, T. (2011, July 9). Rocket Principles. Retrieved November 3, 2014.

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