Rube Goldberg Project Power Tech

So mine and Rok’s Rube Goldberg machine started with a Hotwheels car (Wheel and Axl) knocking a ball off of a screw (Wedge) then the ball rolling down a incline plane and landing in a cup activating a pulley then the cup on the other side of the pulley knocked over a domino which landed on a teeter totter (Lever) which pushed a ball down another incline plane and then the ball when through a screw then the ball knocking over more dominoes then a ball getting knocked over into a cup.

Principals of Flight

  Part 1.

Bernoulli’s Principal is the principal that when the wind has a lower velocity the pressure is higher and when the velocity is higher the pressure is lower. This is used in airplanes because the wings make the air above it have a higher velocity so the pressure is lower which causes lift. The lift is because the higher pressure pushes against the lower pressure making the wings go higher.

Image result for Bernoullis principle

video-2a4mvl9

Part 2

2. Which force is acting on the rocket at launch?

Thrust

3. As the rocket was half-way up, which force(s) is/are acting on the rocket?

I think that once the rocket was half-way up the forces acting on it would be weight and thrust still.

4. As the rocket begins to veer into another direction, which force is acting on the rocket?

I think that this is drag on the rocket from the wind which pushes on it, as well as lift.

5. Did some rockets work better than others? How does the shape of the nose and fin effect the trajectory of the rocket? Explain in terms of the four forces that act on a rocket ship.

Some rockets did work better but some also used different PSI in their launch. Some exploded on launch like mine. But I think that having the fins all even helps the rocket go up straight as well as having a good cone helps with its straightness.

Rocket Simulators

http://sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/Rockets/Sci-Media/Interactive/Rocket-launch-simulation

Max height was 2187 M & Max speed was 220 m/s

Thrust 400, Mass 10 Kg, Thrust time was 5s

http://sciencenetlinks.com/interactives/gravity.html

Why does the rocket fling around the moon/Earth? Because of the gravity from earth and moon

What is orbit? Orbit is the trajectory of an item due to gravitational pull.

https://ohio4h.org/statewide-programs/4-h-science/science-alive-4-h-school-enrichment/rockets-away-launch-simulator

High score was 292.4

Cone was the big triangle, Nose weight was 3, Body weight was 8, Tail weight was 2, Water Oz was 30, Pressure was 80 PSI.

Part 3

 

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

I think my rocket reached my estimated height because after watching other peoples rockets it reached the average height most reached.
2. What do you think might have caused any differences in the height you achieved?

I think the wind and cone shape would have caused differences in height
3. Did your rocket launch straight up? If not, why do you think it veered off course?

Mine veered off course, I think it was because my wing shapes varried a little bit.
4. Do you think that this activity was more rewarding to do alone? Would you have preferred to do it in groups? Why or why not?

I think this was rewarding to do alone but at the same time I think this could have been a really good bonding experience.
5. Did you adjust your model rocket at all? How? Do you think this helped or hindered
your results?

I adjusted my rocket a little bit by putting duct tape instead of normal tape in certain spots.

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

I think it would have gone a lot higher if 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.

I think the safety measures engineers consider are the landing part of the rocket so that the people in the rocket won’t die when it lands.
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?

I think that the rockets change a lot when carrying humans so that they can survive in the rocket and its probably adjusted for the weight of the humans.
9. Do you think rocket designs will change a great deal over the next ten years? How?

I think rockets will change a lot and probably go in the same direction as spaceX rockets and the design will probably be a lot more commercial since there are plans to send people to mars.
10. What tradeoffs do engineers have to make when considering the space/weight of fuel
vs. the weight of cargo?

I think that engineers take into account the exact weight of things so that the amount of fuel/thrust doesn’t mess up the mathematics of the launch.

My rocket launch