The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Rocketry: Calculating Altitude

Rocketry:

Calculating Altitude

A High School STEM lesson

Candice Nelson

06/26/2023

Notes for teachers

• Traditional High School class with 55 minute class periods. 4-5 periods needed.
• Students should work in partners to construct their rockets and cooperative groups to compare data.
• Be sure to get admin approval for a launch site prior to ordering the motors so you know what size is appropriate.
• Teacher should build a demo rocket to practice launch procedures on day 3 to normalize how the altitude finder, launch pad and controller work so launch day runs smoothly.

List of Materials

• Bulk pack of rockets: Example
• One rocket for 2 students worked well
• Extra wadding: Example
• Rocket Motors: Example
• Type of motor will vary depending on the area available for launch site
• Digital Altimeter (optional): Example, (If you can find the altimeter three version get that, but it was sold out everywhere when I was buying supplies)
• Demo rocket complete set: Example
• Includes launchpad and launch control
• HD video recorder (optional): Example
• Metric scale
• Metric ruler
• Metric measuring tool: Example (needs to be at least 75 meters from launch pad to use altitude finder)
• Cement glue: Example (2-3 tubes per class)
• Altitude Finder: Example
• Lab Report

Standards

• Essential HS.P3U1.6
• Collect, analyze, and interpret data regarding the change in motion of an object or system in one dimension, to construct an explanation using Newton’s Laws

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Standards

• Plus HS+Phy.P3U1.3
• Develop a mathematical model, using Newton’s laws, to predict the motion of an object or system in two dimensions (projectile and circular motion).

Objectives:

Day 1: The students will evaluate background information to identify variables in Rocketry: Calculating Altitude investigation.

Day 2: The students will construct their chosen rocket design.

Day 3: The students will practice solving right triangle problems to solve for altitude.

Day 4: The students will launch their rockets and calculate altitude using right triangle equations.

Day 5: The students will share data, graph and answer analysis questions to complete the investigation.

Agenda (4-5 55 minute class periods)

Day 1: Intro

1. Students will view a 7 minute YouTube clip about a brief history of rockets, draw and label the parts of a modern rocket
2. Groups will choose the style of rocket to build and decide which variable to complete their hypothesis

Day 2: Build day

1. Groups will follow the directions and construct their rockets. The glue needs 24-48 hours to cure so students need to get motivated to complete this build today. Do not install motors until launch day.

Agenda (4-5 55 minute class periods)

Day 3: Practice launch day

1. While the student’s rockets glue dries and cures, use the demonstration rocket (teacher built) to practice launch procedures: using the angle finder, launch pad and controller and how to calculate altitude so launch day goes smoothly. Use the altimeter to check the accuracy of the math.
2. Students will view about 9 minutes of a YouTube clip about how to use trigonometry to calculate the altitude of their rockets using data from the altitude finder and distance from launch pad.

Day 4: Launch Day!

1. Install motors into rockets and record final mass measurements.
2. Students should have their rockets and lab papers ready. Weather should not be too windy to make recovery easy. Take altitude finder, metric measuring tool, launch pad, launch controller, extra tape to attach the camera (if recording, not required), change of batteries for the launch controller and have fun today!

Agenda (4-5 55 minute class periods)

Day 5:

1. Students will share launch data and answer analysis questions to complete the lab report.
2. Students may have some downtime if they finished calculations yesterday, so they can watch this documentary on student rockets, read a current event or team building activity while others finish their lab reports and clean up.

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Intro/Driving Question/Opening

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Introduction

1. Students will view a 7 minute YouTube clip about a brief history of rockets, draw and label the parts of a modern rocket

Hands-on Activity Instructions

• Using a demo rocket to go through the steps of the launch and how to use the altitude finder is imperative for success when launching 12+ rockets per class.
• Launch site was on a baseball field on the baseline where all the grass was cleared away to prevent fires.
• Be aware of the weather report because wind will make recovery difficult and unsafe to launch if you are in urban areas.

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Group demo

75m away with the altitude finder

Launch pad with demo rocket

Assessment

Analysis Questions: (Be sure to include data to support your answers)

1. Which rocket type had the highest altitude?
2. Was your hypothesis proven correct or incorrect?
3. What additional variables could have impacted the launch?
4. Draw a free body diagram showing all forces acting on the rocket.
5. Making connections: What formula would you use to calculate how much force the motor exerted on the rocket to reach that altitude?
6. Making connections: What additional information would you need to calculate the force acting on the rocket?

Differentiation

• There is a table that shows the altitude for each angle so students do not have to calculate their altitude using TOA equation. Values depend on distance from launch pad, so if you are not able to be 300m away, but can do 150m, then divide the value by 2 etc.
• Limiting the type of rockets built will have more groups able to share data and support each other in building and completing the analysis.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

• Rocket bodies are reusable, if not damaged in recovery, so compare altitudes reached by launching with a different sized motor.
• Use the metric measuring tool to record how far the rocket traveled and calculate projectile motion. Another way to check altitude numbers.
• Challenge students to construct their own rocket designs and try to reach a higher altitude than the mass produced bodies used in the investigation.