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Rockets LAP – Technology Education Teacher Education

Mark Wilson and Jerrod Kusyk

2 Rockets LAP – Technology Education

Introduction

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Rockets LAP – Technology Education 3

In a world interested in going faster each day, rocket technology has never been

bigger topic for further exploration. Rockets are used for fireworks and weaponry,

ejection seats and launch vehicles for artificial satellites, human spaceflight and

exploration of other planets. While inefficient for low speed use, they are, compared to

other propulsion systems, very lightweight and powerful, capable of generating large

accelerations and of attaining extremely high speeds with reasonable efficiency.

This LAP is designed to help give you a better understanding of the basics of

rocket technology, the importance of rockets, and the opportunity to make your own

rockets using some of the fundamentals of rocket science. But wait, that’s not all, you

also get to launch that rocket!

Table of Contents

1. Learning Outcomes for the LAP

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2. Behavior Outcomes of the LAP

3. Path Selection

4. Information Sheets and Activities

a. Timeline

b. Rocket Applications

c. Basics of Rocket Science

5. Design Brief – Rocket Launch

6. Self Test

7. Self Test Answer Key

8. Performance Exam

9. Performance Exam Answer Key

10.Glossary

11.The Testing Device

a. Pictures

b. Drawings

c. How it Works…

d. Examples of Rockets

12.References

Learning Outcomes

By completing this LAP successfully, each student will be able to:

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1. Define rocket.

2. Differentiate between a rocket and other aircrafts.

3. List the major applications for rocket technology in the space

industry.

4. Discuss the major applications for rocket technology in non-space

related industry.

5. Explain some of the major scientific principles (physics) of rocket

technology.

6. Construct two water rockets.

7. Discuss how the water rocket demonstrates some of the major

scientific principles of rocket technology.

8. Demonstrate how to launch a rocket to maximize distance.

9. Demonstrate how to launch a rocket that can safely carry cargo or a

load.

Behavioral Objectives

Upon successful completion of this LAP, each student will…

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1. Have a better understanding of rockets and rocket design.

2. Develop a respect for rocket applications and the importance of

rocket technology.

3. Have an idea what materials are involved to build a bottle rocket.

4. Safely work with tools to construct a bottle rocket.

5. Respect the equipment in the lab and the materials at which are

available to them.

6. Properly showcase respect for their classmates during a competition.

7. Have fun while learning as much as they can!

Path Selection

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Well, now that you have read what I expect from you in this LAP, I now present

to you a choice. Choose wisely…

Path One: “Yawn. I am pretty sure that I don’t need to read this gibberish!” Go to the

self-test.

Path Two: “WOW! I am pretty sure this is rocket science. I think I should study as

much material as I can.” Go to the next page and start your learning.

Path Three: “I think I know some of this stuff, but I think I should start with the

activities.” Go to the first activity page.

Path Four: “I want to learn rockets another way, what else can I do?” Well, you can

start by researching rockets using other resources and developing a research essay to

submit to the instructor.

Learning Activity # 1Introduction to Rockets

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Ok, so you have decided to take on this LAP with full force, great! So before you

get into any of the reading, let’s see what you know. There is no pressure, just grab a

piece of blank sheet of paper and write down what you know about rockets. You can

write about what they are used for, how they work, who uses them, anything you like!

The only catch is please do not use any books or Internet, just write what you know.

TIMELINE

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History of Rockets

300 B.C. – Steam powered Rockets

One of the first devices to employ the same principles used in rocket flight was designed by a Greek named Archyta. He filled a hollow clay pigeon with water, then suspended the pigeon over a fire. The heating of the water produced steam which was released through strategically placed holes allow the pigeon to move through the power of thrust.

About three hundred years later, another Greek man named Hero, invented a similar rocket type device called an Aeolipile. The device consisted of a sphere mounted on top of a water basin. A fire burned below the basin and produced steam. The steam was channeled through pipes into the sphere and then two L-shaped tubes on opposite sides of the sphere allowed the steam to escape. This provided a thrust that caused the sphere to rotate.

100 A.D. First True Rockets

Just when the first true rockets appeared is unclear. It is likely that the first rockets ever produced were by accidents, most likely discovered by the Chinese. The Chinese developed a simple form of gunpowder in the third century B.C. and was used in religious festivals to drive away evil spirits. Bamboo tubes were filled with the explosive powder and then tossed into the fires. It could have been that some sticks failed to blow up and rolled out of the fire and were propelled along the ground. Observations like this could have led to the first true rockets.

From this, the Chinese also created fire arrows. Which were bamboo tubes filled with explosives and tied to regular arrows. The Chinese observed that arrows with explosive bamboo tubes on the end flew further then regular arrows and with this, the first true rockets were born.

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Rockets LAP – Technology Education

13th through 16th Century

As the Chinese experimented with gunpowder and fire arrows, they eventually began to design new weapon which used gunpowder and the propulsions given off from rockets. In 1232 A.D. in the battle of Kai-fung-fu, the Chinese attempted to repel Mongol invaders with giant versions of their fire arrows. However it was not long after that the Mongols themselves became to experiment with the same idea and designed their own rockets. The Mongols used their rockets to attack countries like Japan and Baghdad. It is believed that the Mongols were responsible for introducing rockets to the Europeans.

An interesting invention that came out of Europe during this year time frame was by a man named, Joanes de Fontana of Italy. He designed a surface-running rocket-powered torpedo for setting enemy ships on fire.

By the 16th Century a German fireworks maker, Johann Schmidlap, invented the first “step rocket”, a multi-staged vehicle for lifting fireworks to higher altitudes. A large rocket was ignited initially and carried one smaller rocket to an even higher altitude.

17th through 19th Century

During the latter part of the 17th century, the scientific foundations that apply to all modern rocketry, were laid down by English scientist, Sir Isaac Newton. Newton expressed his understanding of physical motion, which we now know as Newton’s three laws of Motion.

This was a time of great experimentation. A Dutch professor by the name of Willem Gravesande built a car that was powered by rocket engines. And the Russians began experimenting with rockets too. Sometimes making rockets so strong that they left craters in the ground before liftoff.

However rockets really began to take off in the 19th century. With many countries fighting against eachother in the days of colonization, the size and accuracy of rockets really began to take off.

20th Century and Beyond

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In 1898, a Russian schoolteacher named Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, proprosed the idea of space exploration by rocket. He suggested that the use of liquid propellants for rockets could provide the thrust power needed to launch a man into space.

During the Second World War, rockets became increasingly better, and by the end of the war the Germans had a rocket which was capable crossing the Atlantic Ocean. It was named the V-2. Although the war was over and the Germans never got to use the rockets as they planned, both the Russians and the Americans saw great potential in further rocket development.

On October 4, 1957 the Soviet Union launched the worlds first satellite into space. The satellite was only the size of a basketball weighing 183 pound, and only remained in orbit for 98 minutes. However it marked a very important point in history for the Russians and mankind.

Rocket Applications

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The main function of a rocket is to move something into space.

Rocket technology however, can be adapted to many other applications

that may not have anything to do with space, but to make things faster on

Earth. Here are a few examples.

Airplanes

Ejection of crew escape capsules

Personal Propulsion Belts

Weather Sounding Rockets

Signal Rockets

Decoy Rockets

Spin Rockets

Vernier Rockets

Torpedo’s

Fireworks

Cars

Learning Activity # 2

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Rocket Applications

So, now you have a little bit of a background on history of how rockets were

used in the past and how they are used today. This activity is designed to give you an

understanding of how rockets are used and how they make our life easier.

Your assignment is to pick two of the rocket applications listed on the previous

sheet and write a short synopsis on it. Briefly describe the technology and how rocket

technology has impacted that particular technology. Once you are done submit your

work to the instructor.

Basics of Rocket Science

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One of the biggest accomplishments of man is the exploration of space. Space travel is complicated because there are many problems and obstacles which must be overcome, things like;

The vacuum of space

Heat management problems

The difficulty of re-entry

Orbital mechanics

Weightlessness

However one of the biggest problems related to ship travel is simply getting enough energy to get the spacecraft off the ground. This is where rockets engines come in.

When many people think engines, they tend to think about rotation. Most of the engines that people use in everyday life produce rotational energy, in the forms of , gasoline engines, electric motors engines, steam engines, or gas turbines.

Rocket engines are work on different principles then conventional rotational engines. Rocket engines are reaction engines. The principle driving a rocket engine can be explained by Newton’s Third Law:

“For every action there is an equal and opposite re-action.”

A rocket engine throws mass in one direction and the rocket is then thrown in the opposite direction as a result of the propulsion.

Forces

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By studying rockets, students can learn the basic forces and the external forces that effect the flight of the rocket. The four forces included:

Thrust – is a force which moves the rocket through the air. It is measured in “pounds of trust” or “Newtons”. One pound of thrust is the amount of thrust it would take to keep a 1 pound object stationary against the force of gravity on earth. The thrust from a rocket is generated by the propulsion system which can be explained through Newton’s third law of motion:

“For every action there is an equal and opposite re-action.”

A rocket uses a propulsion system as an engine. This works on gas or liquid, and is called a working fluid. This produces the thrust force. The working fluid is expelled from the engine in one direction and the thrust force propels the rocket in the other direction.

Weight – is the force generated by the gravitational attraction on the rocket. This is the force that is pulling the rocket back down to earth. Forces such as thrust and weight are often referred to as mechanical forces.

Lift- is an aerodynamic force that is generated and acts on the rocket as it flies through the air. This force acts perpendicular to the direction of the rocket.

Drag – is an aerodynamic force that is generated and acts on the rocket as it flies through the air. Drag is a force which is opposed to the direction of motion.

Learning Activity # 2

Rocket Prototype

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Well, now you have a little better understanding of the scientific principles of

rocket technology and how they move things. Seriously, it’s not Rocket Science, or is it?

Either way, let’s put some the knowledge you have learned into application.

Your next assignment is to design and construct a prototype rocket that

demonstrates some of the scientific principles of rocket technology. Once you are done

we will use the wind tunnel to test the aerodynamics of your prototype. Moreover, I

would like you to label the parts of the rocket that will contribute to it moving the most

efficiently. For more information on aerodynamics check out the following website:

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/rocket/presar.html

The materials that you use for the prototype are up to you, just check with the

instructor before you start. This rocket will not be launched it is for diagnostic purposes

only. In the next section we will be covering bottle rockets that will be launched.

Bottle rockets

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Bottle rockets can be a fun, safe and inexpensive way for you to learn the basics of forces and how external forces affect the response of a rocket. A model rocket is subjected to the same types of forces as used in flight, which include; weight, thrust, lift, and drag. Although there are many types of rockets one of the simplest and safest types that you can build is a water rocket. A bottle rocket uses water as the working fluid and pressurized air to accelerate the working fluid. Because water is much heavier than air, bottle rockets generate more thrust than stomp rockets, which can be very exciting.

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Parts of a Bottle Rocket

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****Safety****

Very Important

Please read before you move on!!!

Fly your rocket in an open field where there are no obstacles. Never fly near trees. If your rocket ends up in a tree, you're going to need a new rocket. Never fly near a highway. You can be hurt chasing your rocket across the highway and people driving by are often distracted by model rockets. Never fly near houses. Your rocket can do damage to the windows, sidings and roof of a house. If your rocket ends up on the roof, you're going to need a new rocket. And never, ever fly near high tension wires. That's a sure way to loose a rocket.

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Rocket Launch

Design Brief

The Context

Armageddon has come! Armageddon has come! There is a commit that is headed straight toward Earth destined to strike in less than 24 hours. Upon hours and hours of research in the Think Tank, the experts have come up with one solution, a rocket. The idea is to launch a rocket into space and cream this commit before it destroys the Earth and all that we know.

The Challenge

This is a two-part challenge. Firstly, you are to design and build a rocket that can go as high as you can make it go to hit this commit. Secondly, in case of an accidental miss you must design some type of mechanism that can have the rocket safely return back to Earth without damaging the payload of the rocket which will explode upon impact and create a disaster in itself.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this activity the students will…

1. Design a rocket that will travel a long-range distance.2. Design a second rocket that will safely land without damaging the egg that is

attached.3. Construct their rockets following the parameters outlined in the design brief.4. Complete the activity in the time constraints outlined by the instructor.5. Demonstrate each rocket on the rocket launcher testing device provided by the

teacher.

Resources

Internet LAP contents Instructor Classmates

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Parameters

The construction of your rocket will have to meet the following criteria or it cannot be used to launch.

Rocket One – Judged for distance

a. Must have all parts of a standard rocket.b. Only fill the bottle with water and air.c. Must be made out of a bottle.d. The bottle can be any size.e. All rockets are launched from the same launching device. (Picture below)f. All materials for other parts of the rocket are up to you; please have them

approved by the instructor before starting.g. Do not include machining processes that you have not been formally trained on

in this class.

Rocket Two – Judged for safely landing a payload

a. Must follow all parameters as Rocket One.b. Must incorporate a device that can safely carry the rocket back to the ground

without breaking an egg.c. The egg must be placed in or on the rocket.

Evaluation

Be sure to read over the evaluation before you start your design.

Criteria Proficient = 1 Partially Proficient = .5

Not Proficient = 0

The rocket as all the parts: (1 mark each) Nose Body Fins Payload Compartment (Rocket 2)

Distance Traveled (1 mark each) 20 ft 40 ft 60 ft 80 ft More than 90 ft

Time Management (Did the student use the time they were allotted effectively?)Planning and Design (Did the student complete and submit all activities from the LAP?)Creativity of Design (1 mark each rocket)Creativity of the constructed rocket (1 mark each rocket)Did the rocket safely land the payload?Did the student act respectfully throughout the activities?

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Clean-up Total Marks: /16 + 4 (Bonus Marks for extras on rocket) = 20 marks

Rocket Record Sheet

The following table is provided to record the distance for the launching of Rocket One.

Launch PSI Distance in FeetLaunch One 30 psiLaunch Two 60 psi

Launch Three 80 psiLaunch Four 80+ psi

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Glossary

Key Terms DefinitionThrust The force which moves the rocket through the air.

Weight The force generated by the gravitational attraction on the rocket.Payload Another name for cargo on a rocket.

Lift This force acts perpendicular to the direction of the rocket.

Drag A force which is opposed to the direction of motion.Newton’s Third Law For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

PSI Unit of pressure, pounds per square inch.

Performance Exam

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Answer the following as best as you can. (25 marks)

Your final task for this LAP is to complete a performance exam. Please take a moment and reflect on your rocket. Write a two-page reflection of the two rockets that you designed and launched. In your reflection be sure to discuss why you chose the design of your rocket, discuss the materials that you used and why, whether or not your rocket was successful and why?

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Resources

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/rocket/BottleRocket/about_history.htm

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/rocket/BottleRocket/about.htm

http://science.howstuffworks.com/rocket3.htm

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/rocket/bgmr.html

http://books.google.ca/books?id=LQbDOxg3XZcC&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=rockets+and+application&source=bl&ots=TwTqTECNJT&sig=u6mhxleATE6AOpvJU8cqRQm7KBk&hl=en&ei=dIrNSdyUI-DxmQeZ4bylDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result#PPA21,M1


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http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/rocket/bgmr.html

http://science.howstuffworks.com/rocket3.htm

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/rocket/BottleRocket/about.htm

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/rocket/BottleRocket/about_history.htm

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