Space Density

Into the Great Beyond!

Do Now
Challenge 1: Determine how the different
rocket fuel liquids interact.

Part 1: The rocket fuel is comprised of 6 different types of liquids that must be
burned in a very particular order. The fuel to be burned first will be at the bottom
of the fuel tank. The fuel that needs to burned last must be at the top of tank.
Challenge 2: Predict and observe what happens
when different materials are dropped into your
canister.

For some secret NASA reason, this particular rocket fuel must have a penny, a
grape, a bolt, a piece of wood, a piece of plastic and a piece of paper mixed in the
fuel that you created you created, but also in a particular order. In your column,
predict where you think each of these objects will be. Test your prediction by
dropping the objects in.
 Exit Ticket
1. Which of the following reasons do you think best explains why you were able to create a rocket fuel tank with 5
liquid layers:
a. Sticky liquids will always stay separate from liquids that are not sticky.
b. Each liquid had the same volume, but had a different mass.
c. The dye in the different liquids repel each other.

2. Which of the following reasons do you think best explains why the grape and bolt ended up where they did in
your fuel tank.

a. Foods will always float in liquid, and metals will always sink.
b. Vegetable oil sticks really well to grapes, which is why it got trapped in that layer. The bolt’s smooth surface
allowed it to move all the way to the bottom without getting stuck.
c. The bolt weighs more than the grape and has a smaller volume, which is why it sunk. The grape has a
ratio of its mass to volume that is greater than some of the liquids, but less than others, which is why it stayed in
the middle of the column.