Water Rocket Launch

Student Worksheet:

 Engineering Teamwork and Planning
You are part of a team of engineers given the challenge of building a model rocket using a soda or water bottle that will be attached to a bicycle air pump which will be the source of propulsion or energy.  You can either make your rocket from everyday materials or use a kit that is provided to you.  Either way, your goal is to have your rocket shoot up the highest and the straightest within your class. You'll research ideas online (if you have internet access), learn about rocket design and flight, and work as a team to construct and test your rocket.  You'll consider the results of other teams, complete a reflection sheet, and share your experiences with the class.

 Research Phase
Read the materials provided to you by your teacher. If you have access to the internet, also visit www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/rocket/ for additional research and to use the online rocket simulator, RocketModeler III.  

 Planning and Design Phase
On a separate piece of paper draw a detailed diagram of how your rocket will look when completed and estimate how high you believe your rocket with travel.  You'll need to design a base to hold your rocket before launch.  Include a list of materials you will need and consider the weight you are adding to your base bottle.

If you have been given the challenge of adding a payload to your rocket, you'll need to design a way to have the bottle hold the item(s) you are launching into space.  Payloads cannot be held inside the bottle.

 Build and Launch
As a team, build your rocket -- but always under the supervision of your teacher!  You'll then test the rocket.  Be sure to observe how high and how straight the rockets built by other teams go.  

 Estimate Results
As a team, estimate how high your rocket will fly in the box below:

	

 Reflection/Presentation Phase
Complete the attached student reflection sheet and present your experiences with this activity to the class.

  Water Rocket Launch

Student Worksheet:

 Reflection 
Complete the reflection questions below:

1. How did the height you estimated your rocket would reach compare with the actual estimated height?   

2. What do you think might have caused any differences in the height you achieved?

3.  Did your rocket launch straight up?  If not, why do you think it veered off course?

4. Do you think that this activity was more rewarding to do as a team, or would you have preferred to work alone on it? Why?  

5. Did you adjust your model rocket at all?  How?  Do you think this helped or hindered your results?

  Water Rocket Launch

Student Worksheet:

 Reflection (continued)
Complete the reflection questions below:

6. How do you think the rocket would have behaved differently if it were launched in a weightless atmosphere?

7.  What safety measures do you think engineers consider when launching a real rocket?  Consider the location of most launch sites as part of your answer.

8. When engineers are designing a rocket which will carry people in addition to cargo, how do you think the rocket will change in terms of structural design, functionality, and features?

9.  Do you think rocket designs will change a great deal over the next ten years?  How?

10.  What tradeoffs do engineers have to make when considering the space/weight of fuel vs. the weight of cargo?