Activity 2.

3...2...1...Liftoff

Distance Learning Support

Check with your teacher about:
Materials or resources you need for this activity
What work you need to turn in and how to submit it
Collaboration strategies

GOALS

Explore liftoff.
Investigate propulsion systems.
Determine how the amount of fuel a rocket uses impacts its travel distance.
Compare how different types of fuel affect the distance a spacecraft travels.
MATERIALS

Safety goggles
9 m of fishing line
2 m of painter’s tape
(2) 12" balloons
Balloon pump
Plastic drinking straw
Measuring tape
Graduated cylinder
Teaspoon
Small plastic canister with lid
Launch pad
180 ml vinegar, water, or soda pop as assigned
3 Tums® tablets
1.5 Teaspoons of baking soda
1.5 Alka-Seltzer® tablets

RESOURCES

Optional Extension: Fuel Mass

It’s a Blast!
Liftoff happens the instant an aircraft becomes airborne or when a rocket leaves a launch pad.
Liftoff happens thanks to Newton’s Third Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite
reaction.

Observe Newton’s Third Law in Action

Get Started

1 Questions

Whether it’s the water propelling the fly board into the air, or the downward force of gases
causing firecrackers to launch into the sky, everything that lifts straight up into the air does so
because there is thrust pushing the object up. In a spacecraft, thrust is created by the
propulsion system of the rocket.

Different propulsion systems generate thrust in different ways. Let’s explore different types of
propulsion systems to see how they generate thrust.

Up, Up, and Away

Safety Reminders
Do not handle latex balloons if you have a latex allergy.
Wear safety goggles throughout this investigation.

1 Observe balloon propulsion.

 a. Use the hand pump to blow up a balloon.
b. Pinch the neck closed with your fingers.
c. Release the neck of the balloon and observe what happens.

PLTW GATEWAY NOTEBOOK

Draw a diagram in your notebook showing the path of the balloon. Label the
action and reaction forces.

Air escaping from a balloon is

an example of a simple
propulsion system. Air inside
of a balloon is enclosed and
under high pressure from the
walls of the balloon. When
you release the neck of the
balloon, the high pressure air
escapes. This creates an
imbalance.

The balloon is propelled

forward because the air is
pushing backward out of the
neck of the balloon, and the
equal and opposite reaction
occurs—the balloon is pushed
forward.

To launch a spacecraft, you

need a lot more thrust than
what is required to move a
balloon! To create this thrust, Figure 1. Balloon Propulsion
a spacecraft’s propulsion
system requires fuel.

In this activity, you will investigate how different amounts of fuel produce different amounts of
thrust. To complete this investigation, you will use a balloon propulsion system, which will use
air as the fuel. You will use the distance the balloon rocket travels to measure the amount of
thrust produced.
 Distance Learning Support

To continue Activity 2.2, check with your teacher to determine whether you will:
Interpret the DL: Data from the Balloon Rocket Launch to analyze results.
Gather your own data for the balloon rocket launch by conducting the DL: Balloon
Rocket Launch to interpret and analyze results.

PLTW GATEWAY NOTEBOOK

Create a data table in your notebook:

Amount of Fuel (# Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average

pumps) Distance Distance Distance Distance
Traveled Traveled Traveled Traveled
(m) (m) (m) (m)

3 Pumps

__ Pumps

__ Pumps

2 Create a balloon rocket.

 Measure a distance of 6 m from the wall.
Place a 50-cm-long piece of tape on the floor at this distance. You will stand
behind this line during your balloon rocket launch.

Figure 2. Steps to Create a Balloon Rocket

Note: To maximize the air added to your balloon, fully press the pump handle
during each compression.

3 Launch your balloon rocket and measure the distance it travels. Record all results in the
data table in your PLTW Gateway Notebook.
 0:00 / 0:04

Rocket Launch video

PLTW GATEWAY NOTEBOOK

How did the number of air pumps affect the amount of thrust? Use data from your
investigation to support your claim.

Jet Powered
Jet engines produce a tremendous thrust in one direction, which causes the vehicle to move in
the opposite direction. The invention of the jet engine in the 1930s really improved the
possibilities for long distance, high speed flight. Jet engines produce much greater thrust than
previous engines.

4 Explore the parts of a jet engine propulsion system.

 i
i
i

i
i

Figure 3. Parts of a Basic Jet Engine

PLTW GATEWAY NOTEBOOK

In what part of the jet engine does thrust occur?

Jet Lag
With the discovery of the extra thrust that jet engines provide, space flight could not be far
behind, right? But guess what—a jet engine will not work in space!
 Reflection: Why do jet engines not work in space?

Check your response

Fortunately, this is where Newton’s Third Law comes in. Rockets cannot depend on
surrounding air in the environment, even for burning their fuel. Just like your balloon rocket,
real rockets shoot out a lot of high-speed gas in the opposite direction of their travel. The high-
speed exhaust gases created from burning rocket fuel creates the equal and opposite reaction
that propels the rocket up off Earth’s surface and into space.

But like everything that burns, rocket fuel needs oxygen. So how is this accomplished in high
altitudes, or the vacuum of space where there is no oxygen to burn? The rocket carries its own
supply of oxygen! This supply is called an oxidizer .

In a rocket engine, the fuel that mixes with the oxidizer for combustion comes in either
liquid or solid form. This fuel is a chemical mixture called a propellant .

Additional Information: Rocket fuel comes in either solid or liquid form. Liquid
rocket fuel propellant has to be stored in two separate storage areas. The two parts
are combined in the combustor of the engine.

Solid rocket fuel combines the fuel and an oxidizer into one solid mass. It is a thick
mixture that is the consistency of a pencil eraser. It is set on fire during launch to
create liftoff.

It’s Not Brain Surgery, but It Is Rocket Science!

You may have heard the phrase, “It’s not rocket science” or "it’s not brain surgery" to describe
something that is easy to do. This implies that being either a rocket scientist or brain surgeon
is difficult. But guess what? You already know a bit about rocket science! It is based on things
you already understand: the four forces of flight and Newton’s Laws.

A prestigious space exploration company, SpaceJourney, needs your help to develop the best
propellant for launching rockets. Put on your rocket scientist hat and test different
combinations of chemicals to determine the best formula for rocket fuel. Your hard work will
ensure the company propels to the top!

Distance Learning Support

Jump to DL: It’s Not Brain Surgery, but It Is Rocket Science.

Safety Reminder: Wear safety goggles at all times during this investigation.

5 Review the different chemicals SpaceJourney has identified for testing.

Liquid Chemicals Solid Chemicals

Vinegar Alka-Seltzer

Water Tums

Soda pop Baking soda

Your teacher will assign you and your partner one liquid chemical to test with each of
the various solid chemicals.

PLTW GATEWAY NOTEBOOK

Predict which combination of liquid chemical with solid chemical will cause the
canister rocket to launch the highest distance.

6 Gather the following materials:

safety goggles
graduated cylinder
measuring teaspoon
small plastic canister
 launch pad
180 mL of vinegar, water, or soda pop (as assigned)
3 Tums tablets
1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda
1 ½ Alka-Seltzer tablets

Note: The small plastic canister represents your rocket in this investigation.

7 Set up your launch area.

a. Tape a measuring tape to the wall, placing the 1 cm end near the floor.
b. Place the launch pad on the floor 15 cm away from the measuring tape.

Figure 4. Launch Area Setup

 PLTW GATEWAY NOTEBOOK
Create a data table in your notebook:

Liquid Chemical:

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average

Launch Height Launch Launch Launch
(cm) Height (cm) Height (cm) Height (cm)

½ Alka-Seltzer tablet

1 Tums tablet

½ tsp baking soda

8 Using Alka-Seltzer, create your first batch of rocket fuel and launch your rocket.
a. Measure 20 mL of your assigned liquid chemical and pour it into your plastic
canister.
b. Add ½ an Alka-Seltzer tablet to the canister and quickly cap it tightly.
c. Immediately turn the canister upside down (cap down), place it on the launch pad,
and stand back.
d. On the measuring tape, measure the height the canister reaches. Record this
height in your data table.
 Figure 5. Height Measurement of Canister Rocket Launch
e. Repeat this process for a total of three trials.
f. Calculate the average launch height for your assigned liquid fuel when mixed with
Alka-Seltzer. Record this calculation in your data table.

9 Repeat step 8 using a Tums tablet instead of Alka-Seltzer.

10 Repeat step 8 using ½ tsp of baking soda instead of Alka-Seltzer.

11 Follow your teacher’s instructions to enter the data from your investigation into the
Canister Rocket Class Data Sheet.

12 Analyze the Canister Rocket Class Data and draw conclusions.

PLTW GATEWAY NOTEBOOK

Which rocket fuel formula would you recommend to SpaceJourney? Support your
recommendation with evidence.
 CAREER CONNECTIONS

Rocket Scientist
You learned that a rocket scientist needs to
know about the four forces of flight and
Newton’s Laws. But what else is involved in
the daily work of a rocket scientist? A
rocket scientist’s daily work varies.
Sometimes it is to design and test
spacecraft in ways that are similar to the propulsion activities you just completed. Other
assigned work can include: working on space exploration vehicles, such as a Mars rover,
designing and developing launch pad systems that ensure safe liftoff, and discovering
new materials that will withstand the extreme conditions of space travel.

Which type of rocket scientist work seems like the best fit for you? Why did you choose
that type?

OPTIONAL EXTENSION: FUEL MASS

If directed by your teacher, complete the Optional Extension: Fuel Mass challenge.
CONCLUSION

1 How is the propulsion necessary to move a spacecraft through space different from the
propulsion necessary to move an airplane through the air?

2 How are actual rocket launches similar to how balloon rockets and canister rockets launch?

3 How does the amount and type of fuel impact the distance a spacecraft can travel?

Proceed to next activity