Final Blog Post

Well this is it. The final blog post for this Physics Bottle Rocket Blog. Overall the project itself was a challenge, but a fun one as well. It was quite the challenge because we had to build the rocket itself from scratch and modify it as the days went along. We've done this kind of thing before in the past, but the difference was that the parts and items were included in the kit for assembly. In case you are unfamiliar with our project, here is a complete list of all of the previous blogposts and the multimedia in it:

http://bottlerocketshoi.blogspot.com/2012/02/bottle-rocket-launch-1.html
http://bottlerocketshoi.blogspot.com/2012/03/bottle-rocket-launch-2.html
http://bottlerocketshoi.blogspot.com/2012/03/bottle-rocket-launch-3.html
http://bottlerocketshoi.blogspot.com/2012/03/bottle-rocket-launch-4.html
http://bottlerocketshoi.blogspot.com/2012/03/bottle-rocket-launch-5.html

For the rocket, we had to use 2 coke bottles and several hand made accessories that helped the rocket out. The fins that we used were made out of strengthened paper and cardboard in order to serve the purpose that it needed (to keep the rocket flying straight up and to add an aerodynamic factor to the result).

For our first launch nothing was modified and the launch time was about 3-4 seconds. The second time fins were added and the rocket stayed in the air for about 4-5 seconds. The psi usage was different each time, specifically we used about 10 pumps the first time, 15 pumps the second time, and about 20-30 pumps for the rest of the times. We had to use more psi in order to make up for the added amount of fuel, which went from 500 mL to almost 800 mL by the last launch. The data proved that the more fuel added, the more psi had to be used in order to launch the rocket higher. The more pumps, the more room for potential launch.

The functionality of our rocket went pretty well I must say. The weight was evenly distributed at launch and after the bottom became heavy, which allows the rocket itself to fall and the parachute to open up. The cone on our final launch day evenly distributed the weight from the bottom of the water bottle (weight of water, and fins combined) The cone also made the rocket fly straighter at launch. After the launch reached its maximum height the cone fell of and released the parachute. Everything we put on the rocket worked as planned. We made the fins start at the middle of the bottle and curve around the neck of the top of the bottle to distribute weight and make it more streamline. The cone did what we thought. It flew straighter and distributed weight evenly. The parachute also functioned well but we don’t have any physical model or final evidence of our rocket because it is now on the auditorium roof. The thing that didn’t go well was the launch. At launch it flew high and straight but then the wind came and our rocket was gone and that was not planned at all. The main modifications that we would make in the future is to make a better parachute that is less ruffly and thin. The next is the make a better cone ejection parachute release thing. Its something fun and makes us always want to try to get a better grade.