The shape of an object can cause it to move more easily and quickly through the air or atmosphere. Modern cars and aeroplanes are streamlined and have an aerodynamic shape.
Your task:
- In a group, make a list of objects and/or living things where streamlining is important in their design and helps to improve their performance. Make a wallchart to illustrate your thoughts.
- Design a nose cone to fit the rocket so that the aerodynamics are improved, and therefore performance enhanced.
- Make and fit the nose cone to the rocket and check the efficiency of your design with test flights. Express any improvement as a percentage of height achieved without the nose cone. Make a display of your results.
- Look at the effect of drag on the flight.
- Test different nose cones.
Watch this video to understand the physics behind nosecone shapes using fluid dynamics.