Bottle Rockets

      This week we have started our bottle rocket project. The goal of the project is to get a rocket to stay in the air for at least 8 sec, but ideally 10 sec. There are many factors that go into play when going for maximum time. Weight, balance, stability, and a parachute are four of the main factors.
     The weight of the object is important, if the object is too heavy, it will affect the flight, but the additions to it cause the weight to increase. Weight distribution is also important to the flight of the rocket. The nose cone needs to have a mass in it, this will stabilize it and cause it to hopefully fall off and let the parachute deploy.
     Balance is similar to weight distribution, but involves the placement of each additional item on the rocket. By making the rocket balanced, it will prevent it from going any where but up.
     Stability can be increased by the addition of fins. Fins help guide the airflow around the rocket. This keeps it from spinning or turning in the air. The fins should be equally placed around the rocket.
     Finally, the parachute is crucial to keeping the rocket in the air. The rocket goes up fast, and without the parachute, returns to the ground fast. By causing a slower descent, the hang time will be increased. Today, corey and I had problems getting out parachute to deploy, the pressure of the air on the nose cone prevented it from falling off the rocket. We are going to solve this by putting supports under it so it can't fall any further down the rocket. If the parachute deploys, it will cause the time to greatly increase.
    Overall, this lab is a good test of our understanding of how physics will affect the rocket. It will be interesting to launch our rockets more tomorrow.