Hillcrest HS Students Launch Rockets to Calculate Velocity and Maximum Height

h(t) = -16t2 +vot + ho What is this? Hillcrest High School's Honor’s Algebra 1 students know what it is. They also know how to apply the projectile motion equation to a real life situation! The students put their calculations of maximum height to a real world test. Using launchers and student made rockets, they used the math to model the path of the rocket and then tested their calculations. “The students were interested in seeing how high they could get the rocket to go, but the assessment was related to modeling the results. Once launched, they timed how long it took the rocket to return and hit the ground. Then, the students used that information to calculate the maximum height the rocket reached and its initial velocity when it left the launcher. The goal was to use math to model the path of the rocket,” said Ms. Bucci.