Sarper, H., & Vahala, L. (2015, June), Use of Single Stage Model Rockets to Teach Some Engineering Principles and Practices to First Year Engineering and Engineering Technology Students  Paper presented at 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Seattle, Washington. 10.18260/p.24980

\bibitem{asee_peer_24980}
  Sarper, H., \& Vahala, L. (2015, June), \emph{Use of Single Stage Model Rockets to Teach Some Engineering Principles and Practices to First Year Engineering and Engineering Technology Students}
  Paper presented at 2015 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Seattle, Washington.
  10.18260/p.24980

Hüseyin Sarper and Linda Vahala.  "Use of Single Stage Model Rockets to Teach Some Engineering Principles and Practices to First Year Engineering and Engineering Technology Students".  2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Seattle, Washington, 2015, June.  ASEE Conferences, 2015.  https://peer.asee.org/24980 Internet.  04 May, 2024

\bibitem{asee_peer_24980}
  Hüseyin Sarper and Linda Vahala.
  "Use of Single Stage Model Rockets to Teach Some Engineering Principles and Practices to First Year Engineering and Engineering Technology Students".
  \emph{2015 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Seattle, Washington, 2015, June}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2015.
  https://peer.asee.org/24980 Internet.  04 May, 2024

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_24980
author = "Hüseyin Sarper and Linda Vahala"
title = "Use of Single Stage Model Rockets to Teach Some Engineering Principles and Practices to First Year Engineering and Engineering Technology Students"
booktitle = "2015 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition"
year = "2015"
month = "June"
address = "Seattle, Washington"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/24980}
number = {10.18260/p.24980}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -          Use of Model Rockets to Teach Engineering Principals                 and Practices to First Year StudentsModel rocketry has been called miniature astronautics; a technology in miniature,a hobby, a sport, a technological recreation, an educational tool, and it is all ofthese things. This paper will describe student projects using model rockets andengines to learn engineering principles for launching rockets and determining theapogee.      Model rocketry is a powerful tool for instructors who wish toincorporate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into a fun,engaging, and challenging activity for first year engineering students. The apogeecan be determined using four distinct methods: trigonometry using hand heldangle measuring tools, onboard altimeter devices, analytical calculations based onNewton’s second law and careful weight measurements of the models with orwithout payloads, and rocketry simulation software. Students get a practicalintroduction to many engineering concepts they will study later on. Theseconcepts include thrust, impulse, drag, payload design and insertion, ascend anddescend (with and without a parachute) times, speed, and acceleration. Theseactivities constitute about one credit worth portion of a two-credit course inexploration of engineering and technology which includes laboratory andrecitation components. The laboratory component is dedicated to rocketry onlyfor certain sections with mechanical and aerospace areas of emphasis. Allfreshmen enroll in identical recitation sections. Students learn many skills theyneed later in their studies and professional practice. Teamwork is a skill that theyacquire and they organize into a group with many specialized responsibilities forthe purpose of launching their rockets and collecting valuable data to be processedand analyzed in the classroom. Students also learn or improve spreadsheet skillswhile performing data entry and necessary mathematical calculations. Theoutcomes include understanding of how each of the four apogee determinationmethods works, realization that results are often inconsistent, and appreciation forteamwork. Other outcomes include gaining a firm belief that engineering data isprecious and it must be carefully recorded and saved for future use. All launchresults are entered into a spreadsheet and posted on the blackboard.Documentation of lessons learned is a major outcome also. Just as in the realpractice, model rocket launches are subject to many unexpected and surprisingproblems including loss of a vehicle with expensive altimeter(s) or other sensorsonboard after a successful flight. Each team carefully notes and reports theproblem encountered and remedy, if any, to the instructor who enters theinformation to the master flight log spreadsheet. The main assessment is theweekly group progress reports and the final team report on the construction andflight of a rocket. Weekly practice activities use ready to fly larger rockets thatuse progressively bigger engines with higher average thrust. A majority ofstudents, even those with prior model rocket experience, have found thismathematical and practical rocketry based approach very interesting, worthwhile,and useful. This approach is very likely to increase retention also.
AU  - Hüseyin Sarper
AU  - Linda Vahala
CY  - Seattle, Washington
DA  - 2015/06/14
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Use of Single Stage Model Rockets to Teach Some Engineering Principles and Practices to First Year Engineering and Engineering Technology Students
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/24980
DO  - 10.18260/p.24980
ER  -