| Are you looking for some topics to present that | | | | and pressureaffect performance? |
| can addexcitement to your science classroom? | | | | 6. Planetary differences: how does the same |
| Rocketry and spaceexploration, like no other | | | | rocket performon different planets in our solar |
| subject, have a way to captivatestudents that | | | | system. |
| makes it easy for them to learn science. Theyare | | | | 7. Dynamics and harmonic motion with damping. |
| having so much fun, that they don't even realize | | | | 8. Engineering - how parts fit together. |
| theyare learning basic science concepts. | | | | 9. Newton's Laws of motion. |
| To leverage the benefits of this area of study, | | | | 10. Artistic expression - because every student |
| you can useyour school's computer to explore a | | | | can design adifferent looking rocket, and change |
| lot of different sciencetopics. In the January 2005 | | | | colors of thecomponents to further increase the |
| issue of the education magazine, | | | | rocket's uniqueness. |
| "Tech Directions" ( there isan article by Spencer C. | | | | 11. Explaining distance, velocity, and acceleration. |
| Wilson of J.R. Fugett Middle Schoolin West Chester. | | | | 12. Material properties, like density and volume. |
| In it, he describes how he uses a rocketdesign | | | | 13. The importance of weight and balance (CG |
| software, called RockSim ( toshow students the | | | | position) whendesigning rockets. |
| process of engineering design. | | | | 14. Explaining that Work = Force X Distance. |
| In this article, I'd like to give you some other | | | | 15. Explaining the concepts of Kinetic and Potential |
| ideas onhow to use the model rocket design | | | | Energy. |
| software to demonstrateother basic science | | | | 16. Showing free-fall, and terminal velocity. |
| concepts. Here are some benefits tousing | | | | 17. The importance of units and unit conversion. |
| RockSim software: | | | | 18. The importance of following directions. |
| 1. Allows the student to simulate hundreds of | | | | 19. Exporting data and using spreadsheet |
| rocket flightsvery quickly -- this saves lots of | | | | programs to performdata reduction and |
| money! Just think of thetime saved too. You don't | | | | manipulation |
| have to spend hundreds of dollarbuying motors | | | | 20. To show why multi-stage and cluster motor |
| and hours-and-hours of time building | | | | rockets areused in real rockets. |
| differentconfigurations, launching, recovering, and | | | | 21. Concept of stored chemical energy (in the |
| repacking rocketsto test one control feature. | | | | rocketpropellant) and how it is converted to |
| 2. Safety. When you go out to fly rockets, | | | | mechanical energy. |
| knowing howthey'll behave is an important aspect | | | | 22. Concept of efficiency - getting the most |
| of safety. Precautionscan be made. By running the | | | | performancefrom the least exertion of energy. |
| simulations, the students learnwhat concepts | | | | Can be explained by thedifferent types of |
| contribute to keeping the actual launch safe. | | | | propellant formulations. |
| 3. The scientific value is awesome. Each launch | | | | 23. Showing the concept of momentum and how |
| simulationgenerates a mountain of useful data. | | | | it affects theoptimum mass of the rocket. |
| Analyzing this data isa fantastic way to teach the | | | | 24. Finding the optimal launch angle for breezy |
| scientific method. | | | | conditions. |
| 4. Students love software because it is fun! It has | | | | 25. Optimal launch angle for distance (ballistic |
| featureslike a video game, so the students may | | | | curves),and how it varies with the thrust curve of |
| not realize how muchthey are learning at the | | | | the motor. |
| same time. | | | | 26. Show how the distribution of mass affects |
| 5. The RockSim software is the same tool that is | | | | the dynamicstability of the rocket. |
| used byreal rocketry professionals - like NASA, | | | | 27. Demonstrating the concept of "Numeric |
| militarycontractors, and universities. So you can | | | | Precision" -- themore iterations performed, the |
| feel confident inthe results you get back from the | | | | better the accuracy. |
| program. | | | | 28. Show how different shaped components |
| 6. The software allows students to explore their | | | | affects the staticstability of the rocket. |
| creativity. | | | | 29. Compare the thrust curves of different |
| They can design vastly different looking models, | | | | motors. This canshow how different geometries |
| whilelearning engineering skills, assembly steps, and | | | | (hole size, location,dimensions) affect the thrust |
| physics. | | | | produced by the rocket. |
| Here are just some of the many topics you can | | | | 30. Concept of "Impulse:" which is a thrust force |
| explore with | | | | multipliedby the time duration that thrust is |
| RockSim: | | | | created. The higher theimpulse, the more power |
| 1. Aerodynamics and drag reduction. | | | | the motor has. |
| 2. Forces of flight: Lift, Drag, Thrust, and Gravity. | | | | As you can see, the RockSim software is a |
| 3. Projectile motion. | | | | versatile tool. |
| 4. Rocket propulsion as used for space travel. | | | | You'll save hundreds of dollars because it can be |
| 5. Atmospheric studies: how does temperature | | | | used in avariety of ways. |