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rocket simulator

rocket simulator

Assessment

Presentation

Science

9th - 12th Grade

Practice Problem

Easy

NGSS
MS-ESS1-1, MS-PS2-1, MS-ESS1-2

+5

Standards-aligned

Created by

Lisa Agostini

Used 3+ times

FREE Resource

5 Slides • 1 Question

1

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Rockets: Lift Off

Do Now: What are the two forces that act on rockets as they launch?

2

Draw

Draw the two forces acting on rockets:

3

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5

​Introduction:

The interactive Rocket launch challenge allows you to choose key parameters in setting up a rocket similar to Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket ready for launch. The challenge is to make the rocket go as high as possible without exploding. If the rocket reaches 400 km above the Earth’s surface, it will be able to release its payload (which would usually be a satellite around 150–225 kg in mass). The Electron rocket is 17 m high and 1.2 m in diameter and normally has two to three stages of propulsion. This simulation simplifies this to just one stage and makes the rocket continue to rise vertically from the launch pad with no attempt to go into orbit.

For each launch, you can:
vary the mass of the rocket from 1,200–12,500 kg
vary the amount of thrust from 100–162,000 N this simulation assumes that the thrust is constant for the time that it acts vary the thrust time from 0–140 s switch drag off (ideal world without air resistance) or on (real world includes drag) switch mass change off (ideal world where mass of rocket remains constant) or on (in the real world, rockets lose mass as propellant fuel is burned and ejected from the engines). The simulation can be paused at any time to check thrust, weight, drag and resultant force values as well as speed and height. There are three simulation speeds available, with the middle one set as the default speed.

media

Rockets: Lift Off

Do Now: What are the two forces that act on rockets as they launch?

Show answer

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