The discussion revolves around calculating the apogee of a rocket prior to its launch, focusing on theoretical approaches and practical considerations for a summer project. Participants explore the factors influencing rocket height, including thrust, air resistance, and rocket design.
Participants generally agree that calculating the apogee is complex and that air resistance cannot be ignored. However, there is no consensus on a specific method or equation to use, and multiple competing views on how to approach the problem remain.
Participants note the limitations of simplifying assumptions, such as ignoring air drag, and the need for specific knowledge about the rocket's design and thrust characteristics. The discussion reflects varying levels of complexity in the proposed approaches.
This discussion may be useful for students or hobbyists involved in rocketry, particularly those interested in the theoretical aspects of rocket flight and height estimation.
Complex equation? I wanted to present this project to a local organisation and the demonstration of the process had to be shown and we would like to have these sort of calculations done on our own...Dr. Courtney said:There is not a simple equation, because the answer depends on many factors, ignoring air drag is not a reasonable assumption, and one needs to know the thrust curve also.
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