Rocket Launch: Day 2

     We started launching with our old model, small fins and long skinny nose cone with a weight inside. Our launches were averaging three seconds and not doing very well. We made bigger fins and a new nose cone. We made our cone out of sturdier material. Before it was manila folder so we made our new one out of a cereal box. It was wider and shorter. Our launched were improving already but we cut more off of our fins and nose cone to make it smaller. We also cut off the top of our bottle so our parachute could fit into the top of the bottle as well as the nose cone. When it was only being stuffed into the nose cone it was getting packed too tight and wouldn't release. Overall our rocket was doing well even though we didn't get to achieve the ten seconds of flight time. One time the parachute stuck to the tape on the nose cone. One time the string of the parachute got wrapped around a fin so it didn't open up properly. We encountered a new problem with each launch and I think if we had more launch time we could have eventually fixed every problem. The hardest thing was getting the parachute to launch. I think what worked best was having a nose cone on loosely and a piece of the parachute sticking out. Once the rocket started to fall air could fill up this little piece of parachute like a pocket and the rest of it would open up. The hard part was finding a balance. We wanted it to stick out enough to do the job, but if it was too much it would create drag and slow down the initial velocity.
     We were shooting our rocket around 60 psi. That seemed to be when there weren't that many bubbles pumping into our rocket anymore. We filled it up almost half way with water, so just under one liter.
     I learned that the rocket was sensitive to physics, and one adjustment made all the difference. Weight made a big difference when we did not have weight in the tip of our nose cone it didn't work at all. The whole time though we had to consider the risk of weight over design. A more solid nose cone was risky of adding weight. Some risks payed off and some didn't. It really was an experiment. I found that despite the heavier mass, the cardboard nose cone worked impressively better. Since it was stronger it could take the hit better. The force of impact crunched he tip of our nose cone upon landing, but it saved our rocket from being damaged.