Punahou students explored the science of flight through a hands-on collaboration between Physics and Design Technology and Engineering (DTE), designing, building and launching their own 3D-printed rockets.
Academy students used computer-aided design (CAD) software and 3D printers to create personalized rockets. Working with Physics teacher Hanno Adams and DTE teacher Eddie Kinnear, students researched rocket designs and incorporated their own features, including wings, while learning about the principles of gravity, motion and aerodynamics.
Once their rockets were printed, students attached parachutes and headed to Chamberlain Field to put their designs to the test. Using an air-powered launch pad, they launched their rockets while Kinnear recorded how long each remained in the air. Students then removed the parachutes and launched their rockets at an angle to see which traveled the farthest.
The project also brought classroom physics concepts to life. Before launching their rockets, students studied how gravity affects an object’s motion, including how a rocket slows as it rises, briefly reaches zero vertical velocity at its highest point and accelerates downward as it falls. By measuring the total time their rockets spent in the air, students applied physics equations to calculate their initial launch velocity and maximum height. They also created velocity-versus-time graphs to better understand the relationship between motion, acceleration and distance traveled.
The interdisciplinary activity combined engineering, creativity and scientific inquiry, giving students an opportunity to apply classroom concepts to real-world experiments.
