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Rocket Project Summary: 

Introduction:(Hailey)

One way to study and test physics is by performing the rocket project. My group of three constructed some research in order to determine our variable. In the end we decided to test the fin variable. Each group member was assigned to a fin size. All other parts of our rocket were the same besides the fin size. This way when we tested we knew almost 100% what was causing the rockets performance to increase or decrease. All of our rocket bodies were made out of Smart water bottles and painted each with different colors. Our cones were also the same in shape, size and mass. The three different size of fins we made were:

  • Small

  • Regular

  • Large

With each size of fin there was also a quantity variable. This means that the rocket with small fins has six fins, the rocket with regular fins has four fins, and the rocket with the large fins has three fins.

We choose this variable because our researched showed that the fin size and shape can affect the flight of the rocket dramatically. This is tested accurately because it’s the only variable that is changed throughout the whole rocket.

Our Question: Does the size of the rocket fins affect the flight of the rocket?

Our Hypothesis: If a rocket has six small fins it will fly the highest because with more fins the stability is greater.

 

 

 

Procedure:(Maya)

The procedure of this experiment for my group started by constructing our rockets with our variable, question and hypothesis in mind, which is stated in our introduction. Then we continued on to the test launches of our rockets. To do this we filled our rockets with water to a point we found was best. Then we put our rockets on the launcher and used the bike pump to create pressure. My group chose to pressurize our bottles to 30 psi considering they are smaller than your average rocket. We would then measure the angle, the distance away from which we were standing from the launcher and the time it took to complete the fight. All in preparation to find the height of how high the rocket flew.  

We went about testing our variable by launching our rocket with different sized fins while all of the other variables stayed the same.We did this by all three of us using cardboard and hot glue as our materials so the only thing that was changing was the size  of our fins. Then when we were ready to launch we filled our rockets with water and made sure to keep the pressure at a constant rate of 30 psi.  Some variables we were not able to keep constant  were things like the weight/mass and dimensions because we tested the size of fins which means a different weight because of the amount of material used.  The variables we did keep the same were:

Shape: Long and thin (Smart Water bottles)

Pressure: 30 psi

Nose cone: Long, narrow, pointed 

 

 

 

Data:(Mira)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hailey's rocket (small fins)

Angle- 75 degrees

Distance from launcher- 16.6

Hang time- 1.8

Height- 62 meters

Mira's rocket (normal fins)

Angle- 36 degrees 

Distance from launcher- 14

Hang time- 5.6

Height- 10.2 meters

Maya's rocket (large fins)

Angle- 19 degrees 

Distance from launcher- 14

Hang time- 4.32

Height- .8 meters

We collect this data by shooting our rocket(s) during the class period. First, we had to fill up with water, we needed to make sure each of our rockets have the same amount of water in them. We found a specific line in each of our water bottles, we all had Smart water bottles, and filled it up to that mark every time. Next, we had to mount our rocket(s) once we

 

Conclusion:

The results in relation to our hypothesis shows that the regular sized fins had the best performance as far as height and stability. Our hypothesis was that our rocket with the small fins would fly higher because of the extra quantity of fins. So our results in comparison to our hypothesis was wrong. When testing some errors could have affected our data. There were multiple measurements that could have been falsely measured and some variables could have not been kept constant. Our original testing helped us come to the decision of adding weight to our nose cone. In the end the weight in the nose cone helped our test rocket for exhibition fly higher and straighter. We came to the conclusion of adding weight by constructing very extensive research and by noticing other peoples strategies in making their rockets fly higher. Our group recommends listening to instructions and recommendations for rocket instructions. Also, when you decide on a variable keep the rest of the possible variable constant.

 

Mouse Trap Car : 

Project Description - 

In this project we were asked to create a functional car using only household items and a mouse trap. To do this were learned about force and acceleration and how these things would affect the distance the car would travel. We figured out that a lever on the body of the car and a hook connected to the wheel axis with a string attaching the two would work best. This is because when the lever is "loaded" and is let go of  the string connected to the hook alows the wheels to spin. The longer the string the further the car will go. After our cars were made and refined we had a race to see which car would go the furthest. Then the winner presented their cars at our PEAK meeting. During this project I learned not to procrastinate and to leave time for refinement. I also learned a lot about how force and acceleration work.  

Snow Science Reflection: 

I was so fascinating with this unit in Physics because of the many different ways it relates to my personal life. The best example of this would be that I am a skier, who isn’t? So to look into avalanches more than I had before was really interesting and helpful so I can be safe out in the backcountry.  Another solid example would be that I didn’t really realize the issue of water usage, runoff and water distribution. This was helpful because it made me rethink how much water I should be using and what I can do to make a difference. I realized this especially in a movie we watched called “Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethnic for the New West” Which brings me to what I learned about the role snow and water play in the West. I now understand much more about snow water equivalent and the current watershed issue and the issue of water distribution. It has been made clear to me also that our water supply is getting smaller and smaller due to population and reduced snowpack. 

In doing this unit I also learned many different helpful skills. For example, I bettered my understanding for analysis in graphs and data because we had to look at a lot of this in the entire unit especially when looking at the snow water equivalent.  Also I was able to really go deeper into adaptability. This sometimes is a struggle for me because it’s usually “my way or the highway”. However I this unit there was a lot of collaboration and group work so I was able to really work on that and understand other people’s point of view. Overall, I really enjoyed this unit especially the beginning projects. This is because those few weeks were all about avalanches and avalanche safety. This was so interesting because I can really relate to it, as I said before.  However, I didn’t really like the second half of the unit, which was about watershed and snow water equivalent.  This is because it was a lot of lectures and note taking on a subject I wasn’t really interested in and I felt like it was unimportant. Of course I know that it is important because otherwise we wouldn’t be learning about it however I found myself not engaged in this subject. 

 

Snow Science Final Project :

Design It Clean Project: 

Project Description-  

In this project we focused on creating water filters in order to solve water polution issues  in developing countries, or at least replicated what that could look like.  We were assigned a country to look at more in depth and to understand certain factors afffecting the water. My group chose to look at Varanasi, India which we found was very infected by E- Coli. From there we researched what would be the best way to filter this water, our group went with a Biosand filter with a few adjustments.  As you can see in the filter there are multiple layers to maximize filtration. We then had to document these tests and observations and put them into the documents attached below. Overall this project was very beneficial in the sense that we could gain understanding about how priveledged we are in the US and how we can help or what should be done to help developing countries.  

  • Wind loaded slopes can displace very large amounts of snow which may affect the nature of the snowpack.

  • Cornices are an obvious indicator of the of the wind direction. They create wind deposited snow layers, if followed by high winds and/or warming temperatures an avalanche is likely to occur.

  • Large buried rocks and cliffs tend to be weak, shallow zones in the snowpack. Skiing above a cliff bad is never a good idea.

  • Loose snow avalanches often are caused by skiers and are referred to as point releases.  

  • Slope aspect can be very dangerous because of the way snowpack can change depending on how much sun that specific slope gets.

  • Surface hoar is a layer of feathery crystals that do not bond well and are often responsible for long lasting weak layers.

  • Safe zones are important to identify before choosing a location to ski. You should consider a location where others can watch safely to minimize group exposure.

  • The prime avalanche angle of 38 degrees

  • Slab avalanches: a recipe for disaster. (Weak layer, a bed surface, terrain, and a trigger)

  • Terrain traps are features that increase the consequences of the avalanche. Example: rocks, trees, gullies, bodies of water.

  • Widely dispersed trees growing only on the downhill side are a warning of a frequent slide path.

  • Depression zones are avalanche paths spilling onto the road with piled up debris making avalanche rescue harder.

  • Convex slopes or convex rollover has a natural curve making it more prone to slides.

  • Concave slopes naturally compresses snow, it has the potential to strengthen the snowpack.

  • Skin tracks are established routes to get up the mountain, the least exposure when choosing these paths is best.

Coordinating explanations, matching the numbers on our poster: 

Physics 

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