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Lesson 2: How Does the Volume of a Liquid Affect Rocket Flight?

Water rockets expel water out the back propelling the rocket forward. Therefore, in theory, more water should equal more propulsion; however, are there other factors that affect the rocket’s flight? What is the ideal liquid volume for the maximum horizontal rocket flight distance? 3, 2, 1…Begin!

Doing the science

  1. Start the Water Rockets Simulation by clicking on the “Simulation” tab.
  2. Make the following selections:

    Angle: 30°

    Fluid Volume: 200 mL

    Pumps: 2

    Fluid Type: Glycerin

    Air: Off

    Wind: Off

  3. Click on the “Launch” button.
  4. Record the flight distance in meters in Table 1.
  5. Click on the “RESET” button.
  6. Repeat steps 2-5 increasing only the number of pumps by 2 until you have completely filled out Table 1. Click on the up arrow below the Pump number one time to increase the number of pumps by two.

Table 1.

Liquid Volume (mL)

Flight Distance (m)

100

200

300

400

500

Do You Understand?

  1. What liquid volume produced the longest horizontal distance traveled by the rocket?


  2. Why do you think the results came out as they did? Make a prediction for what the flight distance would have been if the liquid volume was 600 mL.