SCIENCE LAB REPORT

Abdulaziz Shodiev
818
5/6/16

QUESTION
How does the length of the rocket affect the distance it travels?
HYPOTHESIS
If length of the rocket is long then the distance it travels will be longer because the length of the rocket has to do with weight, and it affects the distance it travels
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE: Length of Straw
DEPENDENT VARIABLE: Distance
CONSTANTS: Nose tip, wings, launch force and launch angle, nose tip mass
MATERIALS
1. Tape 2. Clay 3. Nose tip 4. Straw 5. Paper 6. Ruler 7. Rocket launcher 8. Index cards

PROCEDURE 1. Gather material needed to build rocket 2. Using a 3 by 5 inch index card, fold the card twice and then cut into a triangle 3. Tape the triangle fins to the straw evenly around the straw 4. Shape the clay (3.5 g ) into an aerodynamic shape. Place the cone on to the straw eliminating any room for air to escape 5. Place the rocket unto the rocket launcher tube 6. Launch the tube from a 30 degree angle 7. Bring the rocket plunger up to 30 cm and release it 8. Record the distance the rocket travels affect each launch on the chart
DATA
| | Distance (cm) | Distance (cm) | Distance (cm) | | | Body Length | Launch 1 (cm) | Launch 2 (cm) | Launch 3 (cm) | Average (cm) | Rocket A | 8 inches | 265 cm | 286 cm | 329 cm | 294 cm | Rocket B | 6.5 inches | 490 cm | 515 cm | 500 cm | 502 cm |
RESULTS
During our investigation, we launched our rocket at a 45 degree angle with a force of 30 cm. There are two Rockets: A and B, and each of them had different results. On a first launch, the rocket A’s distance is 265 cm. On a second launch, the distance was a little bit different- 286cm. And on the third launch, it went up to 329 cm. The average launch distance for rocket A is approximately 294 cm. However, the data for Rocket B may vary. Rocket B has a body length of 6.5 cm and on the first launch it reaches 490 cm. On the second launch, the distance is 515 cm. On the third launch, the distance it reaches is 500 cm. The average of the total distance is 502 cm. The averages of these rockets are varying. Rocket A’s average is 294 cm and rocket B’s averages is 502 cm. The difference between the averages is 209 cm.
Rocket A was longer than Rocket B. So Rocket A traveled less distance than Rocket B because shorter the rocket, more distance it travels and longer the rocket, less distance it travels. Rocket B flew faster than Rocket A because it had less weight than Rocket A. Rocket A had a longer straw comparing to Rocket B. So the weight of the rockets were different and this force affected flights.
CONCLUSION
Varying the length of straw that the rocket was launched, caused the distance the rocket traveled increase/decrease. According to the data table, launching the rocket A with 8 cm body length on the first launch, caused the rocket to move 265 cm. On the other hand, launching the rocket B with 6.5 cm body length on the first launch, caused the rocket to move 490 cm. The results unfortunately did not support the hypothesis. The hypothesis stated that “If length of the rocket is long then the distance it travels will be longer because the length of the rocket has to do with weight, and it affects the distance it travels.” According to the data table, our rocket which is Rocket A had a 8 cm body length and it traveled less distance then Rocket B. On the first launch, Rocket A’s distance was 265 cm however, Rocket B that had shorter body length- 6.5 cm, traveled more than Rocket A-490 cm. Any subject that is able to move in the air is affected by aerodynamics. There are four forces that affect flight, which are: the weight, the lift, the drag and thrust. So, these forces make an object move to any direction with varying speed. The amount of these four forces on the rocket or aircraft affect the way the object moves. In order for Rocket A to fly more, it has to have less weight than it currently does. Weight is also the downward force that an aircraft must overcome to fly. Our rocket had more weight than Rocket B so the weight pushed our rocket downward and that’s why it traveled less distance than Rocket B. For the next investigation, I would change the body length of my rocket, change the hypothesis and avoid any human errors or limitations. During our investigation, we had made some human errors that we did not realize. Some of the human errors that we made are wings were bent between the launches. Our rocket might had fallen on a floor hard that it bent wings. Another human error is we did not fix the nose cone shape that changed when the rocket was smashed. So the weight was not balanced on the nose of the rocket and it caused the rocket to fly downward after it was launched. Last but not least human error that we might had made is straw could have been bent. This type of error may be caused when people are blocking the way the rocket was flying at or when picking up the rocket from a floor, someone could have bent it accidently.