Brain Surgery and Brain Surgery and Rocket ScienceRocket Science

By Howard Botting and By Howard Botting and Benjamin MitchellBenjamin Mitchell

What’s the Difference What’s the Difference Between Brain Surgery and Between Brain Surgery and

Rocket Science? Rocket Science? One of these activities we can do in One of these activities we can do in

middle school, and one we can’t!!!middle school, and one we can’t!!! Brain Surgery? Brain Surgery? NO!!NO!! Rocket Science? Rocket Science? YES!!!YES!!!

IntroductionIntroduction

Have you ever Have you ever seen a space seen a space rocket launch?rocket launch?

Didn’t you wonder Didn’t you wonder how it worked?how it worked?

You may even You may even have thought “I have thought “I want to do that”want to do that”

TaskTask

In this assignment we will be In this assignment we will be investigating Rocketry and investigating Rocketry and building our own re-usable rocket building our own re-usable rocket (max 10-15 uses)(max 10-15 uses)

Rocket bodies will be plastic Rocket bodies will be plastic soda bottle (s)soda bottle (s)

Rocket fuel will be compressed Rocket fuel will be compressed air and waterair and water

ProcessProcessWe will make informed decisions We will make informed decisions

regarding building our rocket after regarding building our rocket after gathering information from the gathering information from the Internet. We will first look at:Internet. We will first look at:

• Rocket historyRocket history• What are soda bottle rockets What are soda bottle rockets • Physics behind soda bottle rocketsPhysics behind soda bottle rockets• Safety with rocketsSafety with rockets• Parts of a soda bottle rocketParts of a soda bottle rocket• Designs for a soda bottle rocketDesigns for a soda bottle rocket

Rocket HistoryRocket History

Lets first look to how and Lets first look to how and when rockets were when rockets were developed. Please developed. Please choose (click) the choose (click) the following link to learn following link to learn aboutabout

Robert Goddard: Rocketry Robert Goddard: Rocketry PioneerPioneer

What are soda bottle rockets?What are soda bottle rockets?

Time line of RocketsTime line of Rockets How do these compare to How do these compare to

real rockets? real rockets? Parts that make the rockeParts that make the rocke

tt

Here’s a clip of one in Here’s a clip of one in actionaction

Movie clip oneMovie clip one

Pictorial of rocket systemPictorial of rocket system

Physics behind soda bottle Physics behind soda bottle rocketsrockets

So what is the science behind how a So what is the science behind how a simple soda bottle can be converted simple soda bottle can be converted into a high flying rocket with only into a high flying rocket with only water and air as a fuel?water and air as a fuel? Click on the links below Click on the links below

Newton’s Third Law and bottle rocketsNewton’s Third Law and bottle rockets

Principle of the rocketPrinciple of the rocket by NASA by NASA

Safety with Soda Bottle RocketsSafety with Soda Bottle Rockets

Always wear safety glasses in the labAlways wear safety glasses in the lab Never pressurize rockets indoorsNever pressurize rockets indoors Never stand over the rocket on the Never stand over the rocket on the

launch padlaunch pad Maintain a 5 meter “Safety Zone” Maintain a 5 meter “Safety Zone”

during liftoffduring liftoff Limit pressure to no more than 80psiLimit pressure to no more than 80psi More More NASA Safety tips NASA Safety tips

Parts of a soda bottle rocketParts of a soda bottle rocket

To assemble our rockets we will need To assemble our rockets we will need the following partsthe following parts

Nose coneNose cone FinsFins BodyBody ParachuteParachute

Design IdeasDesign Ideas

Investigate the Investigate the following web sources following web sources to see how others to see how others before you have built before you have built soda bottle rocketssoda bottle rockets

Water Rocket IndexWater Rocket Index Bottle Rocket pdfBottle Rocket pdf 2 Stage Rocket2 Stage Rocket

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONESSENTIAL QUESTION

What is the procedure for solving a What is the procedure for solving a problem?problem?

- - As a team you and your partner will consider the six As a team you and your partner will consider the six steps to solving a problem as you complete your bottle steps to solving a problem as you complete your bottle rocket activity!rocket activity!

When you have finished reading each slide you may go on.When you have finished reading each slide you may go on.

PROBLEM SOLVING MODELPROBLEM SOLVING MODEL

Step 1Step 1 Identify the problem!Identify the problem!

STEP 2STEP 2

• SET GOALSSET GOALS

- who - who

- what - what

- when - when

- where - where

- why - why

- how- how

STEP 3STEP 3

BrainstormBrainstorm- - Use your imagination to come up with many possible Use your imagination to come up with many possible

solutionssolutions

STEP 4STEP 4

Select the optimum SolutionSelect the optimum Solution

STEP 5STEP 5

Implement the solutionImplement the solution- ModelsModels- prototypesprototypes

STEP 6STEP 6

Evaluate the resultsEvaluate the results --Was the desired result achieved?Was the desired result achieved?

- Is the problem solved?- Is the problem solved?

Build Procedure Part 1:Build Procedure Part 1:

Lets get started!Lets get started!

1.1. Prepare the body of the rocket.Prepare the body of the rocket.- - click on this link to see what shapes increase altitude and speed.click on this link to see what shapes increase altitude and speed.

Body ModificationsBody Modifications

Build Procedure Part 1:Build Procedure Part 1:

2. Preparing The Nose Cone.2. Preparing The Nose Cone.

Materials that you could use:Materials that you could use:

-athletic cone-athletic cone

- manila paper- manila paper

- plastic bottle material- plastic bottle material

Build Procedure Part 2:Build Procedure Part 2:

3. Cutting and shaping fins.3. Cutting and shaping fins.- click on this link to see what fin shapes increase altitude and speed.click on this link to see what fin shapes increase altitude and speed.

FinsFins

Build Procedure Part 1:Build Procedure Part 1:

3. Recovery System.3. Recovery System.- click on this link to see how to build and install a recovery system.click on this link to see how to build and install a recovery system.

Recovery SystemRecovery System

Build Procedure Part 1:Build Procedure Part 1:

Construction time! Put this thing together.Construction time! Put this thing together. click on the click on the hardhathardhat to see how to construct your rocket to see how to construct your rocket

Record Your Teams FlightRecord Your Teams Flight

Charting the altitude of your flight.Charting the altitude of your flight.

-click on the chart below and calculate your altitude from a NASA system.

Flight AnalysisFlight Analysis

- As a team compare and contrast what was As a team compare and contrast what was successful about your flight and what could have successful about your flight and what could have been improved.been improved.

- What was the altitude?What was the altitude?

- Was the Was the

Outcome unexpected?Outcome unexpected?

Build Part 2:Build Part 2:

- Make improvements to your rocket:Make improvements to your rocket:

- Record how the changes that you made will Record how the changes that you made will improve the flight of the rocket. improve the flight of the rocket.

Record Your Teams Flight Part 2:Record Your Teams Flight Part 2:

Charting the altitude of your flight.Charting the altitude of your flight.

-click on the chart below and calculate your new altitude from a NASA system.

ConclusionConclusion

This activity has been a fun This activity has been a fun technological experience. Discovery technological experience. Discovery of how the forces of nature can be of how the forces of nature can be overcome by the problem solving of overcome by the problem solving of a team. You and your partner now a team. You and your partner now have a better understanding of tools, have a better understanding of tools, materials, safety, flight and the steps materials, safety, flight and the steps to solving a problem, congratulations to solving a problem, congratulations on a successful flight. on a successful flight.

Related Activity for HomeRelated Activity for Home

Students can build a easy to make Students can build a easy to make “bubble” rocket at home without a “bubble” rocket at home without a compressed air supplycompressed air supply

NASA’s Bubble powered rocketNASA’s Bubble powered rocket