Water Bottle Rocket Vocabulary

drag

a force that works against forward motion; friction between the air and the object in motion; air resistance

friction

The force that two surfaces exert on each other when they rub against each other

force

a push or a pull exerted on an object

balanced forces

forces that are equal and working in opposite direction; these forces do not cause a change in an object's motion

unbalanced forces

forces that cause a change in an object's motion to change direction, speed up, slow down, or stop; the forces are not equal

gravity

The attractive force between objects

inertia

the property of matter that causes matter (objects) to resist any change in its motion in either direction or speed

thrust

a force that is used to push our rockets off the launcher; a pushing force

action force

a force that acts on an object

reaction force

a force that is equal and opposite of the action force

motion

The state in which one object's distance from another object is changing.

Newton's 1st law

(Law of Inertia) an object in motion tends to stay in motion & an object at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by an outside force.

Newton's 2nd law

The acceleration of an object depends on the mass of the object and the amount of force applied

Newton's 3rd law

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction

Projectile motion

the curved path that an object follows when thrown, launched, or otherwise projected near the surface of Earth

Fins

The stabilizing and guiding unit of a model rocket.

velocity

calculated using the speed formula, but includes a reference direction

speed

distance/time

compressed

Squeezed together

weight

A measure of the gravitational force exerted on an object.

ballast

heavy substance used to add stability or weight

Propulsion subsystem

provides the energy to move a vehicle; this can be an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, or rocket engine

Structural Subsystem

provides structural support for all the other vehicle components, and holds them in position

Guidance Subsystem

a system of equipment for guiding the path of a vehicle

Control Subsystem

Controls speed and direction of a vehicle