Launch#1

Today went somewhat smoothly. After Mr. Blake explained the intricacies of bottle rocket launching, detailing that everyone must complete at least one launch before the end of the period, Kala, Nicole, and I prepared the rocket launch pad. However, to our surprise, the U shaped copper wire, known also as the relapse clip, failed to keep the bottle in place as it stood upright on the launch pad. After many attempts to secure both the bottle and the relapse clip, we decided to use the other group's station for the sake of time. We made sure that the plug attached to the mouth of the bottle was secure along with the relapse clip. After the bell rang to end the period, I pumped the bottle until it reached 50 atm. The water in the bottle helped the push the bottle forward. Our first trial was, for us, an introduction to the world of bottle rocket launching: next time, we are prepared.

Online Source- NASA

exploration.grc.nasa.gov

This website was extremely helpful in understanding the "science side" of water rockets.  In this website, NASA gives an overview of the anatomy of a water rocket.  There are four forces working in flight upon a water rocket including, weight, thrust, lift and drag.  Thrust is the force which moves the rocket through the air.  In this case, thrust is caused by the expelled water.  Lift and drag are vector quantities.  Lift is a force which acts perpendicular to the direction of motion.  Drag acts in the opposite direction of motion. When the rocket is placed on the launch tube it becomes a closed pressure vessel. The pressure in the rocket will then equal the pressure created by pumping air into the rocket. The water acts as the propellant for the rocket. Overall this website was very helpful in understanding how water rockets function.