Episode 09: Water Rockets

A little over a week ago, on May 30th, we had the first manned space launch from the USA in a decade! How awesome is that?!?

This week we thought we would take another look at rockets. Four forces act on a rocket during launch. As we are shooting off our water rockets, see if you can pick them out. If you can, pick up your own water rocket launcher and a bike pump and try it out at home.

Thrust- This is the pressure at the end of the nozzle propelling the rocket.

Weight- The mass of the rocket and the pull of gravity trying to bring it back down.

Lift- The force that holds up the rocket (or an airplane) and counters the force of weight.

Drag- Force pushing back on the rocket as it moves through the air.

Check out this link for more details about these 4 forces.

NASA has put together a deep set of lessons, virtual simulators, and instructions for taking water rockets to the next level. You can find that here!

For more ways to learn at home, check out the Discovery Center's website. https://explorethedc.org/discoveryath...