There are three features of a water rocket that affect drag:
1. The nose cone.
2. The fairing (a ‘skirt’ that goes around the
nozzle).
3. The fins.
Use the simulator to experiment with the drag
effects of each feature.
1. The nose cone.
To experiment with drag effects of the nose
cone, try these options:
a) no nose cone.
b) rounded nose cone.
Keep
all other settings the same (i.e., the
amount of water, the amount of pressure, the lift-off weight, the type and number
of fins, and the fairing style). [Simulator]
Why should you hold
other settings constant while trying different nose cones? Were
you correct?
RESULTS:
Which shape caused
the rocket to reach the highest altitude?
