The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

The Function of Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion on a Rocket

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The Function of Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion on a Rocket

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A 5th grade STEM lesson

Part 3 of Unit

Terri Schilling

5/9/2023

Notes for teachers

• Context: This lesson is done in the classroom for the first half, and then outside for launching the rockets
• Students work in groups of 2-3
• Students are encouraged to adjust the mass for the cone and to create as many or as little fins as they want
• Check slide notes

List of Materials

• Rocket material:
• 2-liter bottle
• cardstock or construction paper (for nose cone)
• cardstock, cd, other rigid material (for fins)
• Tape
• Duct tape
• Scissors
• Pencils
• Measuring tape or ruler
• Modeling clay
• Digital scale (at least one)
• Water
• Bike pump with psi gauge
• Rocket launcher (the AquaPod works great and is not as expensive as others)
• Saving the Day: Garrett Morgan's Life-Changing Invention of the Traffic Signal
• picture book (or video read-aloud)
• Bottle Rocket Reflection (make a copy)

Arizona Science Standards

Science Standards

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5.P3U1.4: Obtain, analyze, and communicate evidence of the effects that balanced and unbalanced forces have on the motion of objects.

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5.P3U2.5: Define problems and design solutions pertaining to force and motion.

5.P4U1.6: Analyze and interpret data to determine how and where energy is transferred when objects move.

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Science and Engineering Practices

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• ask questions and define problems
• develop and use models
• plan and carry out investigations
• analyze and interpret data
• use mathematical and computational thinking
• construct explanations and design solutions
• engage in argument from evidence
• obtain, evaluate and communicate information

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Arizona ELA Standards

5.RL.7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the purpose, meaning, or tone of the text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, and poem).

5.W.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

5.SL1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

5.L.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal contrast, addition, and other logical relationships (e.g., however, although, nevertheless, similarly, moreover, in addition).

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Objective(s):

Today we will explain the function Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion play in the launch of a rocket.

Today we will examine how illustrations in the story contribute to the purpose of the text.

Today we will collaborate and communicate with our peers to engineer a rocket successfully

Today we will use what we learned to create a bottle rocket that will shoot straight up into the sky.

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Agenda (3-4 sixty minute classes)

What function does each of Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion have on a rocket?

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Day One:

Engage: Center of Gravity activity (10 minutes)

Vocabulary: (5 minutes / with activity (2-3 thirty-minute sessions)

Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion (30 minutes)

Read aloud: Saving the Day: Garrett Morgan's Life-Changing

Invention of the Traffic Signal (5:40) / with activity (15 - 45 minutes)

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Day Two:

Engineering a Bottle Rocket (45-60 minutes)

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Day Three:

Launching Rocket (30 minutes)

Class Discussion (30 minutes)

Finding the Center of Mass

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• Take a pencil and place your pointer fingers at each end

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• Start to slowly move your fingers along the pencil towards the middle of the pencil
• When your fingers meet and your pencil is balancing, you have found the center of mass!
• The center of mass is the point where an object is balancing.
• Video

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Fingers

Vocabulary to Know

• Mass: what something weighs
• Center of mass: the point at the center of the distribution of mass in an object
• Drag: the slowing force acting on an object, air resistance
• Force: a push or pull on an object
• Velocity: the speed of a moving object taken together with its direction of travel
• Acceleration: a change in velocity

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Vocabulary to Know cont…

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• Stability: the state of being stable
• Motion: the action or process of moving or of changing place or position
• Inertia: the resistance of an object has to change in its state of motion​
• Thrust: a sudden and strong push
• Balanced Force: If two forces on the body are equal, but opposed
• Unbalanced Force: force that causes a change in an object’s state of motion

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Newton’s 1st Law of Motion

“An object at rest, stays at rest until an outside force acts on it”

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What does this mean?

Look at the picture above. Both elephants are using the same amount of force (balanced force - 200 N) and will stay there until an unbalanced force acts upon them. Example, one elephant tires, the force changes so then the other elephant is able to pull in its direction. Another example is an elephant joins one the the elephants, therefore, the force increases, and both elephants pull the opposite force (single elephant).

Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion

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Force = Mass x Acceleration or F=MA

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What does this mean?

The greater the mass (weight) of an object, the more force it will take to accelerate the object.

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Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion

For every actions, there is a equal and opposite reaction.

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What does this mean?

Skater A pushes against Skater B.Skater B will accelerate to the right according to F = MxA.Skater A will accelerate to the left because there is an equal and opposite force.

Both skaters use the same force to accelerate backwards.

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What importance does Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion have on a rocket?

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Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion cont…

LAW #1: When you launch the rocket, the force of the launch pad equals the force of the pressurized fuel (water). It will not go anywhere; it is at rest.

LAW #2: The force in which the rocket pushes away from the launch pad depends on the pressurized air (accelerant) and the fuel (mass). F= M x A

LAW #3: When launched, the pressurized air pushes down on the fuel and force the fuel out a great speed. The fuel (water) and air are pushing down, so the rocket must go up.

Read-Aloud

Video Read-Aloud (8:05)

DAY

TWO

Constraints:

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• One 2-liter bottle
• Record the nose cone mass in grams
• Completed in 60 minutes

Criteria:

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• In groups of 2-3, work to engineer the rocket.
• Use materials available to create fins and nose cone for rocket
• Be prepared to launch the rocket for the class
• Engineering Process

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Create Bottle Rocket

DAY

THREE

LAUNCH DAY!!

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Assessment

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• Students will design and record data/observations in science journal.
• Each group will launch their rocket looking for stability and the height of the rocket. Students will record how their rocket used Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion.
• Teacher will check for understanding.
• Fill out Bottle Rocket Reflection Form (make a copy) in Google Classroom.

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Differentiation

• Heterogeneous groups with strong partners
• Extra time
• Print out slides

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Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

• Students can use different materials for the rocket
• Students can place mass (clay) in other places on the rocket to see results
• Students can experiment with the fins and the materials to find the most effective way to use them on a rocket
• Students can read about nose cones and fins on NASA’s website
• Students can work together or on their own to create rocket.
• Use two 2-liter bottles