Dr. Stan Forrester’s Honors Physics class made rockets fly!
On a bright and sunny South Florida day, students gathered on the practice field, eagerly awaiting their turn to launch their creations. Though not likely found in standard outer space-going vessels, some students chose to adorn their rockets with embellishments. The sky wasn’t the limit for our rocket-building students! What is clearly found is the passion and fascination that flight captivates through imagination and possibilities.
Delving into Newton’s Laws of Motion, learning how each law applies to the operation of rockets increased the excitement as the concepts of thrust, velocity, and acceleration were applied to the launches. Using a combination of creativity, problem-solving skills, and the physics principles they had learned, students worked diligently to create their unique rocket and track their rockets’ altitude and trajectory with trigonometry. Students conferred with their range safety officer prior to and during the launch process. Watching with amazement, the students enriched knowledge of physics also ignited and furthered their interest in space exploration and engineering. As we look forward to future lessons, the sky is no longer the limit—it’s just the beginning!
