Rocket Challenge

Rocket Challenge

Background information on our challenge:

Our task was to move the target to predict where the rocket would land on the field hockey field.  I, along with Will Rankin and Will Casse, used a bicycle pump to launch our rocket into the air.  By using different wooden angles, we were able to launch our rocket at different height angles.  This allowed for us to gather a good amount of data to predict where to put the target when launching our test rocket.  Our test angle was 35 degrees.

Here's a video of us collecting data:

We first found the velocity by calculating how fast the rocket went for different angles:

We had to use various formulas and collect many pieces of data to make our prediction.  Once we found the velocity (by calculating distance over time), we tried solving for the x and y velocities. Since the object was at an angle, we had to use tangent to find these variables:

We discovered that the Viy = 14.12 m/s and the Vx = 9.89 m/s.  With this information, we were able to use the change in X in the y direction to solve for the time.  We also had to use the quadratic formula for this.  The time ended up being 2.82 seconds, saying that it took 2.82 seconds for the rocket to fly up and return to the ground.  Once we had solved for the time, we were able to plug it into the {Vx = (change in X in the X direction) / time} equation, thus solving for the change in X in the x direction.  It ended up being 27.9 meters.  

Were we correct?

Yes!!  Our rocket landed directly in the circle that we made out of rope on the field hockey field!!