How to calculate g-force in a Class 2 rocket

[gullixona]

A rocket team at our middle school wants to calculate the g-force of our rocket using a dual spring scale that measures in grams and Newton's. They are attaching a 10 gram weight to the spring scale and focusing a small camera on it to (hopefully) capture the image of Newton's/grams before, during, and after flight. I need a little help to see if this is possible. From what I can gather: 1 g-force = .0098N. With the 10 gram weight on the spring scale 1 g-force = .098 N. Last year's data tells us our Class 1 rocket accelerated at 4.70m/s2 or .5 g-force. I can't find a spring scale small enough to measure this prediction and we can't increase the weight on the scale because of payload weight restrictions. Is it possible for us to do this with a spring scale and do my calculations make sense? Sorry, this is coming from a Bio major.

Thanks for all the help.

Alyssa

 

[Valerie Park]

Yes, it is possible to measure g-force using a spring scale and your calculations are correct. To measure a 0.5g-force with a 10 gram weight on the spring scale, you would need to measure a force of 0.049 N. The spring scale should be sensitive enough to measure this, but you will need to check the specs of the spring scale you are using to make sure it has a high enough sensitivity.

 

[sir-pinski]

Calculating g-force in a Class 2 rocket can be done using the data collected from the dual spring scale. The first step would be to convert the weight of the 10 gram weight into Newtons by multiplying it by the gravitational acceleration of 9.8 m/s^2. This gives us a force of 0.098N.

Next, we can use the formula g-force = force/mass to calculate the g-force. In this case, the mass is the weight of the rocket, which is not mentioned in the question. So, it would be best to measure the mass of the rocket using a scale and then use it in the formula.

For example, if the mass of the rocket is 500 grams (0.5 kg), then the g-force can be calculated as follows:

g-force = 0.098N / 0.5kg = 0.196 g

This means that the rocket is experiencing an acceleration of 0.196 g or approximately 0.196 x 9.8 m/s^2 = 1.92 m/s^2.

It is possible to use a spring scale to measure this g-force, but it may be difficult to find one that is small enough to accurately measure the force. In this case, it might be better to use a different type of scale or sensor that is more precise and can measure smaller forces.

I hope this helps and good luck with your rocket launch!