Final Project: Map of Pioneer Park Exhibition.
For this project, we made a map of Pioneer Park. This map was intended to be accurate, topographic, and handmade. We measured all the distances, and the topographic part was measured
My reflection on said exhibition.
In retrospect, I'd say it went well. I was comfortable with the subject being discussed. In regards to the venue, the area was cramped with all the people who started showing up. Admittedly, I had managed to get my schedule backwards, so some of that poor timing involved was likely my fault. It's a mistake I plan to avoid in the future. I was able to answer all the questions, and may have over-answered for one woman, who was likely not expecting a relatively thorough mathematical explanation of cartography, if her expression was any indicator. I look forward to many such exhibitions at Animas.
My reflection on said exhibition.
In retrospect, I'd say it went well. I was comfortable with the subject being discussed. In regards to the venue, the area was cramped with all the people who started showing up. Admittedly, I had managed to get my schedule backwards, so some of that poor timing involved was likely my fault. It's a mistake I plan to avoid in the future. I was able to answer all the questions, and may have over-answered for one woman, who was likely not expecting a relatively thorough mathematical explanation of cartography, if her expression was any indicator. I look forward to many such exhibitions at Animas.
Rocket Project
Physics Behind the Rocket
Newton’s first law states that an object at rest will remain at rest unless an outside force acts upon it, and an object in motion will remain in motion unless an outside force acts upon it. This prompts the question, “Why isn’t our rocket outside the Earth’s atmosphere?” The answer is more direct than it seems.
Our rocket had a wonderful variety of outside forces acting upon it. Firstly was gravity, pulling our rocket back to Earth. This could’ve been fatal, except for our cunningly designed parachute, which brings us to our next topic: air resistance. Air resistance slowed our rocket going up, and down. The wind also blew it sideways. Air resistance took our parachute out, and kept it open.The reason our rocket was so easily manipulated was because of it’s lack of mass. If our rocket was heavier, it would’ve gone much straighter. On the other hand, the launch velocity wouldn’t have taken our rocket anywhere near as high. The question is, why did our rocket launch? Newton’s third law, in it’s statement that for every force and action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, explains our situation perfectly. As the pressure in the bottle builds up, the rocket begins to expand. As the plug is removed from the nozzle, all this pressure seeks to escape through the nozzle. The rocket then is propelled by this thrust in an opposite direction. With these three primary factors acting upon our rocket, it was only natural that it didn’t exit the atmosphere. |
Rocket Reflection
Given that our rocket was the best in our period, apparently something went horribly right. I am not sure entirely as to what, but I suspect that our rocket was sufficiently light weight to get clear of the ground in a graceful and stylish fashion. Note that graceful and stylish translates roughly to “FWACKOOM!” I also thought that the construction process went well, we only suffered one major setback involving our engine/fuel tank, which we were able to compensate for with relative rapidity. I will describe this with more detail in paragraph 3. I also got a good partner for this project. We were able to communicate and plan effectively, and we were also able to cooperate smoothly. Your partner can really change the entire outlook of your project. If you have a good partner, it’s twice as efficient and effective as going it alone. If you have a partner poorly suited for you, it’s worse than trying to fix a computer with an axe.
The parachute didn’t go well. It seemed to sort of decide to open in the last 4 feet of the fall. I suppose I should be grateful it opened at all, but still, one expects more functionality from a parachute. Understanding how to make this sort of essential element work better is something I will work on in the future. We did not complete our rocket in time for a trial launch, which was a curse and a blessing. If we had completed it, a rough landing could have annihilated it. Starting from square one with three hours until launch is never a good idea. I would utilize a more conical nosecone, and search for a more effective method of rigging my parachute to open. I would also have checked alignment on the original engine/fuel tank design, just to make sure it set straight. I mean, that one failure set us back two hours of work time, so it would be nice to make sure I could avoid it in the future.I would also have tried to find a bottle with greater capacity for fuel storage in our engine. This wouldn’t have increased our weight that much, and maybe given us a little more lift during liftoff. I would run the risk of having a nonfunctional parachute and utilize a more traditional nosecone. I would also have stolen the idea of the umbrellachute. I would have tried to find a surer way to execute that design, because it seems to me that the locking mechanism on the umbrella probably posed an issue. Also, the added weight of such a parachute would slow the projectile, too, so we would need to lighten everything else up while retaining power. The cool factor of the unusual parachute, plus the effect it would have in terms of increasing air resistance would be the only rewards of this risky endeavor. I was also impressed by the fabrication and workmanship behind Dylan Kroes’ nosecone. It would have been pretty neat to be able to make something like that. I would say the nosecone was something of a fail. My idea for a differently shaped nosecone was rendered pointless. In retrospect, our rocket would have flown just as well with a plain old nosecone, so, the time I put into thinking about the effects that my individualized nosecone would have was wasted. The major redeeming factor in our nosecone was that it wasn’t stuck into the rocket, but rather perched atop it, making it easier for the parachute to deploy. As far as utter functionality, it served it’s purpose, but not with a noticeable difference from any other nosecone. In the end, at least it looked cool. I would have tried to make the rocket a little flashier. I wouldn’t have put on paint, or anything fancy and shiny, but just tried to sand off some of the lumps and unusual markings, and maybe drawn a little top hat on it to match the name of the good ol’ Honest Abe. I would also would have loaded a bit more water into the engine, giving us just a little bit more fuel. We also could have planned our firing a little better, and been prepared just a little sooner. I would say that it was a good exhibition, overall. Our rocket performed admirably, and the building phase was fun, if somewhat hectic. I am extremely pleased with the flight performance. It exceeded all of my expectations. In retrospect, this success wasn’t all that surprising, but it still pleases me. I’d like to say that this seems like a good lab to start our year off with, and I look forward to doing more things like this in the future. I learned how to attach fins to a rocket in a more efficient and sturdy manner. Specifically, I learned the technique of attaching lengths of wood to the sides of the fins in order to allow more surface area for the epoxy. My original plan for the fins involved ridiculous amounts of duct tape. I’ve also learned about aerodynamics, and some of the objectives involved, such as sleek, rounded lines, and trying to minimize the surface area that is receiving air resistance. This helps me to better understand vehicle design. It also will help me to make better choices in buying vehicles in terms of design, and being more aware of the efficiency of cars, trucks, and bicycles. |
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Animas High School 3200 North Main Street, Durango, CO 81301 (970) 247-2474
Animas High School 3200 North Main Street, Durango, CO 81301 (970) 247-2474