Ms. Susana Alulod Mahidol University International Demonstration School Semester 2 Academic Year 2017-2018 ROCKET REFLECTION 1. ANALYZE YOUR ROCKET'S MOTION: It launched well, but it shook while it was flying in the air. After it had shaken, it started to spin and dropped down to the floor.
How long was your rocket in the air?
Our rocket was up around 3.9 second in the air before it fell to the ground.
Estimate your rocket's maximum height. Show
and explain all calculations. vf=vo vf=vo+at - (1) x=vot+12at2 - (2) Subs (1) into (2) x=vft-12at2 x=(0)(1.95)-12(-9.8)(1.95)2 x=0+9.56 x=9.56m
At the maximum height, the velocity of rocket
equals to zero as there is only potential energy occurring. We used the equation, x=vft-12at2because we know that Vf is zero. We know the constant of gravity and we know the value for elapsed time. ROCKET REFLECTION 1.ANALYZE YOUR ROCKET'S MOTION:
and nearly reached the ground. Therefore, displacement of the rocket become negative. ROCKET REFLECTION
2.WHAT ROLE DID FRICTION
PLAY IN THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR ROCKET? DID IT AID OR HINDER?
The force (friction) enrolled in this experiment
was air resistance, which reduced the speed of our rocket. The direction of air-resistance force acted oppositely to the motion of the rocket. It decreased the rocket’s acceleration when the rocket was going up and going down. Therefore, friction both hindered and aided the motion. ROCKET REFLECTION
3. BEGINNING WITH THE STORED
MECHANICAL ENERGY IN THE PRESSURIZED ROCKET, EXPLAIN THE MULTIPLE TRANSFORMATIONS THE ENERGY GOES THROUGH.
At launch, there was only potential energy from
pressure, but no kinetic energy because there was no movement going on. When the rocket was released, some potential energy changed to kinetic energy. Some heat energy was given out as waste as well. When the rocket reached its maximum height, all kinetic energy turned into potential energy, so the velocity at maximum height is zero. The rocket then started falling down, turning some potential energy back into kinetic energy, so the rocket gained back its velocity. At the point where the rocket nearly reach the floor, it got the highest velocity as most of the potential energy turned into kinetic energy. ROCKET REFLECTION
4. HOW DID UNDERTAKING THIS
PROJECT IMPROVE YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF WORK AND ENERGY?
It simulated how energy is transferred, and work
is done when force acts to a system, making it moves in the same direction as force. Energy has been transferred all the time, but it’s never lost. When a rocket is moving upward, potential simple changes into kinetic energy, which increases system’s speed, and when it starts to fall, potential energy has been changed to kinetic energy. That’s why rockets fall. ROCKET REFLECTION
5. HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT
THIS PROJECT WHEN IT WAS FIRST ASSIGNED?
When the project was first assigned, we were very
confuse and we didn’t figure out how to build the rocket, and how will it fly up. It was unclear a little bit for us about the launcher because it was prepared by the teacher, so we didn’t know the shape of it, and how will it launch our rocket. We didn’t expect our rocket to fly up high because we didn’t calculate anything as we didn’t know what calculation would take part in this rocket building process. We also didn’t really understand how the idea of work and energy will be involved in this experiment. To be honest, we didn’t know the purpose of building this rocket at first, and we didn’t know the theory or the topic that the rocket will link to. ROCKET REFLECTION
6. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT
THIS PROJECT NOW THAT IT HAS CONCLUDED?
From this project, we think our rocket is the
best in our class because when we saw other group rockets, we noticed that our design look more possible to go further. Also, our rocket did go higher than we thought it would be. We’re now know the purpose of doing this project, and we do understand more about energy and its concepts as this experiment simulated the transferring of energy through the motion of rocket. ROCKET REFLECTION
7. WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE
DONE DIFFERENTLY AS YOU AND YOUR TEAM WORKED THROUGH THIS PROJECT?
In the next experiment, our group suggested that
we should make the rocket’s shape become more narrow, so that our rocket would experience less air resistance. Also we would reduce the weight of the rocket. To be more precise, we may use one bottle for the body part and only the head of another bottle to do the head of rocket. ROCKET REFLECTION