NakedSquirrel's Kerbal Space Program

[NakedSquirrel]

Just having fun with some basics physics/math. I\'m going to plot my progress to studying Kerbal Physics and the grand project of flying to the mun using the paradigm of earth physics/kinematics. I figure I would post my blunders and mess-ups here for all to see as I try to launch my own Kerbal space program to the mun and maybe murs. (if it ever comes into existance)... or mupiter ;P

[Test Flight 1]

(Finding the acceleration of Kerbal Gravity)

Disregarding air resistance and terminal velocity. The acceleration of Kerbal Gravity should be defined by:

(dy) = (Vi)(t)+1/2(a)(t^2)

For our first, second, third,.. seventh test flight... we launched a rocket with 3 external fuel tanks. Each fuel tank has a weight of 1.25kg (kerbal grams). The rocket has a thrust power of 130kN (kerbal ...New-tins?)

The rocket flew ~11000km (kerbal meters) before running out of fuel

The rocket achieved an altitude of 12800km (kerbal meters) before reaching a velocity of 0(km/s) (kerbal meters per second) when the fuel tanks were ejected (stage 2). We timed the fuel tanks\' decent to be 18 seconds before they finally returned to the the ground and went kaboom

We used basic kinematics in an attempt to solve for the acceleration of Kerbal Gravity:

(dy) = (Vi)(t)+1/2(a)(t^2)

(28000km) = 0(18)+1/2(a)(18^2)

a= (79km)/(s^2)

(kerbal meters per second^2)

[Radion]

You\'ve really got things figured out, and I applaud you for that.

However, I believe this would best be suited in the General Discussion section.

[BHD124]

Hmmm, this experiment got the University of Sonno Bet thinking so they tried the experiment again by using another formula:

Vf^2=Vi^2+2ad

Data was collected by launching a small rocket and was filmed.

Data collected ended up being:

Vf=16.1m/s

Vi=47.9m/s

delta d=103m

And by pluging all these values in they ended up with acceleration due to gravity as -9.87m/s^2

With an uncertainty value of 3.3%.

Sources of errors include, air resistance and terminal velocity as the experiment was conducted within the atmosphere.

It would be interesting to see more experiments conducted like these.

Edit: OOC: Anyone know if these are up to date?

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/~kerbalsp/wiki/index.php?title=Kerbin