Introduction: Bottle Rocket

We are two grade 9 students of Springbank Comunity High School, who designed a bottle rocket in the school's innovation lab. This was a class project to help with our engineering and innovation skills.

We attempted multiple test runs to ensure a design built for the best possible outcome, which in our case was height.

Here is a detailed step by step tutorial for how we created it.

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Supplies

  1. Around 2 to 3, empty two liter soda bottles
  2. Some thick cardboard
  3. A box cutter knife
  4. 1 tennis ball
  5. A roll of duck tape
  6. Scissors
  7. Thick paper, such as Cardstock
  8. Hot glue/Super glue
  9. Soap and water
  10. Launch device

Step 1: Fins

Step 1: Design your preferred fin shape, size and amount

Step 2: Cut the cardboard in the shape of your fins (make sure to be as exact as possible for an even launch)

Step 3: With the opening of the bottle pointing down, mark out where you would like to place your fins (depending on shape, preferable place them near the opening of the bottle)

Step 4: Glue on the fins and add multiple pieces of tape around them for extra support



Step 2: Placing of Tennis Ball

Step 1: Place your tennis ball on the flat end of your bottle (Centre it as precisely as possible)

Step 2: Secure the ball in place using Duck Tape

  • The tennis ball is required for a counterweight to ensure the rocket will go straight up and down, instead of gliding horizontally

Step 3: Nose Cone

Step 1: Cut a second two liter bottle in half

Step 2: take the top half (part with bottle opening) and secure it with duck tape over top of where the tennis ball is located

Step 3: Take your thick paper and form a cone, secure the cone shape with duck tape

Step 4: Wrap cone in duck tape to ensure extra stability

Step 5: place the cone on top of the side that holds the tennis ball

Step 6: Secure the cone onto the bottle with duck tape (make sure the cone stands as straight as possible)

Step 4: Prepare for Launch

Step 1: Fill the bottle with a small amount of soap

  • This step is important for friction, which ensures a higher launch

Step 2: Fill the bottle 1/3 of the way full with water

Step 3: Put the bottle cap on and shake to fill the bottle with soap suds

Step 5: Launch

Step 1: Find an open area outside

Step 2: Take the cap off the bottle and attach it to your launch device

Step 3: Pump up the launcher to pressurize the air inside the bottle

Step 4: Pull the string to launch the bottle rocket and watch as it goes high in the sky

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