Rocket's Vertical Velocity Solved Using Differentiation

by Noah Reichley

Submitted : Spring 2022

In this project, I was able to calculate the speed at which a rocket was moving upward when given a few variables such as its current altitude, the distance of a command center to the launch pad and the rate at which it is moving away from the command center. I was able to set up the problem as a graph, which helped identify both what I was given and what I needed to find. I used differentiation to calculate the upward velocity of the rocket combined with various physics tools. From there, I was able to set up an equation using the Pythagorean theorem. By setting up the equation, I was able to identify and isolate the rate of the rocket's vertical velocity and then solve for it. This project allowed me to see the way in which physics and calculus can be combined to solve problems that would be difficult when only using content from one subject.

[ Back ]