2009 Goose Creek District Rocket Derby

It's Rocket Derby time!

June 6th is the annual Goose Creek District Soda Pop Bottle Rocket Derby at Claude Moore Training Facility (not to be confused with Claude Moore Park).  This is a great opportunity to have some fun and learn about Newton's Three Laws.

1. Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.
2. The relationship between an object's mass m, its acceleration a, and the applied force F is F = ma. Acceleration and force are vectors (as indicated by their symbols being displayed in slant bold font); in this law the direction of the force vector is the same as the direction of the acceleration vector.
3. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Putting Newton's Laws of Motion Together

An unbalanced force must be exerted for a rocket to lift off from a launch pad or for a craft in space to change speed or direction (First Law). The amount of thrust (force) produced by a rocket engine will be determined by the rate at which the mass of the rocket fuel burns and the speed of the gas escaping the rocket (Second Law). The reaction, or motion, of the rocket is equal to and in the opposite direction of the action, or thrust, from the engine (Third Law).

A rocket derby is a great summertime Pack activity that a scout can do with the whole family. It requires less preparation and setup than the propeller driven space derby kits. A rocket derby uses water rockets that are propelled with water and air pressure. The rockets are simple enough to assemble that Tiger Cubs and siblings age 4 and older can also participate. The scouts and parents get a great thrill at seeing their rockets fly skyward. The rockets can fly up to 50-60 feet in the air.

For more information, check out the event calendar.