Rocket experiment: conservation of energy

[jnimagine]

Hi i posted a question about the rocket experiment i did at school a few days ago but i just need some clarifications on some things.
I know that when a rocket is launched, not all kinetic energy is transferred to potential energy as it travels. That's why when i used formulas to figure out the energies and figured out the maximum height that was reached, was totally different from the actual height. Some of u guys helped me out by saying that the differnence in height is caused by losses of energy, friction between rocket and the launch pad, and wind.
I don't quite understand though, how energy would be lost because I thought energy is never lost. Does any of this have to do with the burning of the engine? and how would wind cause the calculation of the max. height to be so different from the actual height?

 

[PhanthomJay]

Hi i posted a question about the rocket experiment i did at school a few days ago but i just need some clarifications on some things.
I know that when a rocket is launched, not all kinetic energy is transferred to potential energy as it travels. That's why when i used formulas to figure out the energies and figured out the maximum height that was reached, was totally different from the actual height. Some of u guys helped me out by saying that the differnence in height is caused by losses of energy, friction between rocket and the launch pad, and wind.
I don't quite understand though, how energy would be lost because I thought energy is never lost. Does any of this have to do with the burning of the engine? and how would wind cause the calculation of the max. height to be so different from the actual height?

I didn't see your prior post, however, generally speaking, energy can be lost, gained, or conserved, depending on the work done on the system. If a block is at rest on a frictionless table, with no energy, and you push it, it gains energy because of the work you must do to get it moving. The same block might then lose energy when it runs into a surface with friction. Or keep the same energy when only gravity is involved (like if it just fell off the table to the floor, energy would be conserved. Actually, when you consider that energy is required by a person when he pushes the block (chemical energy), or that work done by friction is converted to heat energy (the table gets hotter), in that sense, all total energy is conserved in each case. Regarding the wind force, that might be an air resistance force that slows the flight, and can create tremendous heat.

 

[kyle8921]

I can explain the concept of conservation of energy in relation to your rocket experiment. The principle of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred from one form to another. In the case of your rocket experiment, the initial energy is in the form of chemical energy stored in the rocket's fuel. As the rocket is launched, this energy is converted into kinetic energy, which is the energy of motion.

However, as you correctly pointed out, not all of this kinetic energy is converted into potential energy as the rocket travels. This is due to various factors such as friction between the rocket and the launch pad, air resistance, and wind. These factors cause some of the kinetic energy to be lost as heat or sound, resulting in a decrease in the overall energy of the system.

Regarding your question about energy being lost, it is important to note that while energy cannot be destroyed, it can be converted into different forms. In the case of your rocket experiment, the energy is being converted from chemical energy to kinetic energy and then partially to potential energy. However, some of this energy is also being converted into other forms, such as heat and sound, resulting in a decrease in the overall energy of the system.

The burning of the rocket's engine does play a role in this energy conversion process. The fuel is being burned to produce thrust, which propels the rocket upwards. However, as the fuel is being burned, some of its energy is also being lost as heat and sound, contributing to the overall energy loss of the system.

As for how wind affects the calculation of the maximum height, it is important to consider that the rocket is not traveling in a vacuum. It is moving through the Earth's atmosphere, which exerts air resistance on the rocket. This resistance can vary depending on wind conditions, and can significantly affect the rocket's trajectory and maximum height.

In conclusion, the conservation of energy principle still holds true in your rocket experiment. The energy is being transferred and converted, but not all of it is being converted into potential energy, resulting in a difference between the calculated and actual maximum height. Factors such as friction, air resistance, and wind play a role in this energy conversion process and should be taken into consideration when analyzing the results of the experiment.