th
Rocketry
10
Engineering Technology II
7-8 weeks
Students will benefit from the ability to describe motion using position, velocity, and acceleration; a knowledge of trigonometry functions, and familiarity with Newton’s laws.
Students apply scientific principles to the construction of rockets of increasing complexity. Their efforts lead to an X-prize competition in which groups compete to design, build, and launch a high-powered paper rocket that can carry fifty grams fifty meters into the air.
Students are introduced to rockets through an interactive web site where they assemble and launch four of the rockets presently used by NASA. In doing so, they become familiar with the different parts of a rocket and their functions. Students then begin their study of rockets by looking at the fundamental physics behind all present day rocket propulsion (Newton’s 2nd & 3rd laws). In small groups, students build a rocket sled and characterize its motion using Newton’s Laws.
With the science of propulsion well in hand, students then construct and characterize some simple rockets with different propulsion systems (compressed air and chemical). They examine the idea of multi-stage propulsion systems and consider how Newton’s Laws are applied to different propulsion systems.
Propulsion is just the beginning. A propelled rocket must be stable during flight, so students next build paper rockets and study the concepts of Center of Mass and Center of Pressure. Through a simple ‘drop test’ they predict the stability of their rocket design. Their rockets are then launched and the motion analyzed.
Once students have flight-tested stable rockets, they try to improve the flight performance of their rockets. Students construct a wind tunnel and use it to measure the drag of their flight-tested rocket.
They then make design modifications to reduce drag, verifying with the wind tunnel that their modifications were successful. Note that students must maintain the stability of the rocket even as they make modifications to reduce drag. The new and improved rockets are then flight-tested and their performance is analyzed.
Students are now ready to build and flight-test more advanced rockets, ones that carry payloads and have parachute recovery systems. The stability, drag, and flight performance is characterized as before.
10 th Grade Aeronautics Module Overview Page 1

As a capstone project, teams are challenged to build a rocket that can lift fifty grams fifty meters. Teams must complete proposals, submit budgets, carry out the design process, perform ground-based testing
(which introduces a new stability test), and finally, flight-test their rocket.
Action: force (push or pull) acting on an object (see Reaction)
Altair: The name of NASA’s future lunar landing craft
Altitude: The height above Earth achieved by a rocket or other vehicle
Ares I and IV: NASA’s new rockets for 21st century space exploration
Attitude Control Rockets: Small rockets that are used as active controls to change the direction attitude) a rocket is facing in space
Balanced Force:
A force that is counterbalanced by an opposing force, resulting in no change in motion
Canards: Small movable fins located towards the nose cone of a rocket
Case: The body of a solid propellant rocket that holds the propellant
Center of Mass: The point in an object about which the object’s mass is equally distributed
Center of Pressure: The point on the surface of an object about which the object’s surface area is equally distributed.
Combustion Chamber: A cavity inside a rocket where propellants burn
Compressed:
Forced into a smaller space than normal
Drag:
Friction forces in the atmosphere that act on a rocket to slow its flight
Fins: Arrow-like wings at the lower end of a rocket that stabilize the rocket in flight
Gimbaled Nozzles: “Tiltable” rocket nozzles used for active flight control
Igniter: A device that ignites a rocket’s engines
Liquid Propellant: Rocket propellants in liquid form
Mass:
The amount of matter contained in an object
Mass Fraction:
The mass of propellants in a rocket, divided by the rocket’s total mass
Microgravity: An environment that imparts to an object a net acceleration that is small compared to what is produced by Earth at its surface
Motion: Movement of an object in relation to its surroundings
Movable Fins: Active rocket fins that are used to stabilize a rocket’s flight
Newton’s Laws of Motion: Laws governing all motion and, in particular, rocket flight
Nose Cone:
The front end of a rocket
Nozzle:
A bell-shaped opening at the lower end of a rocket engine through which a stream of hot gases is directed
10 th Grade Aeronautics Module Overview Page 2

Orion: The name of NASA’s planned orbital spacecraft
Oxidizer: Chemical compounds that permit rocket fuel to burn
Passive Controls: Stationary devices, such as fixed fins, that stabilize a rocket in flight
Payload:
The cargo carried by a rocket
Propellant:
Fuel and oxidizer that burn to produce rocket thrust
Reaction:
A movement in the opposite direction from the imposition of an action (see Action)
Rest: The absence of movement of an object in relation to its surroundings
Solid Propellant: Rocket fuel and oxidizer in solid form
Space Station: An orbital laboratory
Stability: A measure of the smoothness of the flight of the rocket or the ability to move in one direction without perturbation
Stages:
Two or more rockets stacked on top of each other in order to reach a higher altitude or have a greater payload capacity
Throat: The narrow opening of a rocket nozzle
Thrust: The force from a rocket engine that propels it
Unbalanced Force: A force that is not countered by another force in the opposite direction
BBC Top Gear Rocket Robin Game http://www.topgear.com/uk/games/rocket-robin
Beginners Guide to Rockets http://exploration.grc.nasa.gov/education/rocket/bgmr.html
Free online introductory physics textbook http://www.lightandmatter.com/books.html
History, Principles, Games, and Activities http://exploration.grc.nasa.gov/education/rocket/TRCRocket/history_of_rockets.html
Interactive Web site for assembling real NASA rockets http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/RocketScience101/RocketScience101.html
Rockets Educator Guide http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Rockets.html
Rocket Topical Index http://exploration.grc.nasa.gov/education/rocket/shortr.html
Soda Straw Rocket Activity http://quilt.jpl.nasa.gov/docs/Straw_Rocket_508FC.pdf
Teacher’s Guide with Activities http://quest.nasa.gov/space/teachers/rockets/
10 th Grade Aeronautics Module Overview Page 3

DAY 1
Computer w\Internet access
DAY 2-3
1 Board, 1 X 3 X 8 inches
3 (three) 1/4” diameter by 2 1/2” long dowels
(or wood screws)
Wood glue
Cotton string
Two rubber bands (size 19)
Medicine bottles
Straight drinking straws (not flex)
Meter stick or ruler
Metric beam balance or scale
Scissors
Popcorn seeds
Washers
Pennies
Marbles
Paper clips, etc. (for filling the bottles)
Safety goggles
DAY 4-5
2 Long party balloons (round balloon will not work)
Nylon monofilament fishing line (any weight)
2 Plastic straws (milkshake size, non-bendable)
Styrofoam cup
Masking tape
Scissors
DAY 6
Paper clips
Safety pins
Aluminum foil
Wooden matches
Ruler
Stop watch
Masking tape
DAY 7-9
Sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper (white or colored)
Cellophane tape
Scissors
Ruler, meter stick, or tape measure
Fat round pencil or dowel
Eye protection
Drinking straws
Copy of the Ares paper rocket plans
DAY 10-17
One compressed air rocket launcher (see note in Procedure)
Saw and drill required for assembly.
Bicycle pump or small air compressor
A shopping list of parts (with pictures), all of which can be found at a local hardware store and bought for about $150, is included in the teacher resource.
Two or three Launch Altitude Trackers (see note in Procedure)
Tape measure
1/2” PVC pipe (two 6”long pieces, one 12”long piece)
1/2” PVC tee connector
One 10”length of aquarium airline hose (clear vinyl)
1 Straight airline connector
Food coloring
Permanent marker
Rocket construction supplies listed in
HighPowerRockets.pdf
Paper 8 1/2 x 11” (white or color construction paper)
Cellophane tape
Ruler
Protractor
Scissors
1/2” PVC pipe 24” long
Stopwatches
DAY 18-24
Paper concrete tube form (8”or 12" by 4” )
Beam balance or electronic scale (sensitive to
0.1 grams)
Balance or some other weight
Thin wire coat hanger
Nail (about 16D, 3” long)
2 Small screw eyes
String
Duct tape
Transparency paper or clear cellophane
Small electric fan
Needle-nose pliers and wire cutter
10 th Grade Aeronautics Module Overview Page 4

Box cutter (discuss safety issues with students!)
Ruler
Toilet paper roll tubes - about 24
Hot glue
Flashlight
Adhesive or gummed paper reinforcing rings
DAY 25-29
Same as previous, plus:
Plastic grocery bags
String
Washers
DAY 30-35+
Same rocket launcher
Same altitude trackers
Same rocket materials
Graph paper
Cardboard
String
Nature of Science, Standard 1: Practice of Science
SC.912.N.1.1 Define a problem based on a specific body of knowledge, for example: biology, chemistry, physics, and earth/space science, and do the following:
1. pose questions about the natural world,
2.
3. conduct systematic observations, examine books and other sources of information to see what is already known,
4.
5. review what is known in light of empirical evidence, plan investigations,
6. use tools to gather, analyze, and interpret data (this includes the use of measurement in metric and other systems, and also the generation and interpretation of graphical representations of data, including data tables and graphs),
7. pose answers, explanations, or descriptions of events,
8. generate explanations that explicate or describe natural phenomena
(inferences),
9. use appropriate evidence and reasoning to justify these explanations to others,
10. communicate results of scientific investigations, and
11. evaluate the merits of the explanations produced by others
Physical Science, Standard 10: Energy
SC.912.P.10.1 Differentiate among the various forms of energy and recognize that they can be transformed from one form to others.
Physical Science, Standard 12: Motion
SC.912.P.12.2 Analyze the motion of an object in terms of its position, velocity, and acceleration (with respect to a frame of reference) as functions of time.
SC.912.P.12.3 Interpret and apply Newton's three laws of motion.
Algebra, Standard 1: Real and Complex Number Systems
MA.912.A.1.3 Simplify real number expressions using the laws of exponents
MA.912.A.1.5 Use dimensional (unit) analysis to perform conversions between units of measure, including rates
10 th Grade Aeronautics Module Overview Page 5

Algebra, Standard 2: Relations and Functions
MA.912.A.2.1 Create a graph to represent a real-world situation.
MA.912.A.2.2 Interpret a graph representing a real-world situation
MA.912.A.2.7 Perform operations (addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication) of functions algebraically, numerically, and graphically.
Algebra, Standard 5: Rational Expressions and Equations
MA.912.A.5.4 Solve algebraic proportions.
Geometry, Standard 7: Polyhedra and Other Solids
MA.912.G.7.7 Determine how changes in dimensions affect the surface area and volume of common geometric solids.
MA.912.G.8.2 Use a variety of problem-solving strategies, such as drawing a diagram, making a chart, guess-and-check, solving a simpler problem, writing an equation, and working backwards.
MA.912.G.8.3 Determine whether a solution is reasonable in the context of the original situation.
Trigonometry, Standard 1: Trigonometric Functions
MA.912.T.1.5 Make connections between right triangle ratios, trigonometric functions, and circular functions.
MA.912.T.1.8 Solve real-world problems involving applications of trigonometric functions using graphing technology when appropriate.
AdvancedRockets.pdf http://www1.nasa.gov/pdf/295786main_Rockets_Adv_High_Power_Paper.pdf
BalloonStaging.pdf http://exploration.grc.nasa.gov/education/rocket/TRCRocket/balloon_staging.html
HighPowerRockets.pdf http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlnasa/units/Rockets2/18.pdf
HighPowerRocketLauncher.pdf http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/295788main_Rockets_High_Power_Launcher.pdf
HowRocketsWork.pdf http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/153415main_Rockets_How_Rockets_Work.pdf
LaunchAltitudeTracker.pdf http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/153402main_Rockets_Launch_Altitude_Tracker.pdf
MatchRocket.pdf http://exploration.grc.nasa.gov/education/rocket/TRCRocket/match_rocket.html
NewtonRocketCar.pdf http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/153412main_Rockets_Newton_Car.pdf
10 th Grade Aeronautics Module Overview Page 6

PuffRocket.pdf http://www1.nasa.gov/pdf/153413main_Rockets_3_2_1_Puff.pdf
Rocket Assembly Simulation http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/RocketScience101/RocketScience101.html
WindTunnel.pdf http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlnasa/units/Rockets2/05.pdf
Wind Tunnel Activity http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Rocket_Wind_Tunnel.html
X-51Project.pdf http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/153416main_Rockets_Project_X51.pdf
X-Prize foundation (that started this type competition) http://www.xprize.org/
10 th Grade Aeronautics Module Overview Page 7