Photo by Courtney Templeton

Davis’ physics class launches rockets behind the school for a force experiment.

“Let’s hope ours is wired properly and doesn’t explode,” junior Trace Zalatoris said to his team while the class walked out to the launch area.

“I hope it does,” John Patterson replied.

Prepared with their own homemade rockets, the AP Physics students of Mr. Davis’s class set out to the grassy plains of Legacy to get the lab set up.

“Nose goes on the 50 meter thing,” junior Trevor Lambert quickly said, putting his index finger to his nose. Students quickly followed Trevor in putting their finger to their nose. Once the two students were selected to take the measurements 50 meters away, the launching could begin.

To help the class measure what they needed for the lab, Mr. Davis set out two launchpads, a rocket controller, which held a button to launch the rocket far away, altimeters to measure angles and trundle wheels to measure the distance the rocket went. iPads and phones were also used to record the launches of their groups or their friends.

“Do you want me to not record it and jinx you?” Davis said after Deja Morehead’s rocket proceeded to stay on the launch pad.

Because some of the rockets did not launch due to faulty steps, the students blamed it on the jinxing of the videos being ready before the launch actually took place. Before they could begin, the students had to make sure that the controller was hooked up properly by looking at the shining light that told them they were ready to launch.

“That went beyond the building,” junior Trevor Lambert said as Amelia Jackson’s rocket launched over the high school and disappeared.

One by one, the rockets swirled up in the air, leaving a thin trail of smoke left by the burning engine. The students were prepared to run away in case a rocket decided to explode or change directions other than going skyward. Some, like Jackson’s, launched away from the area of the pad and towards different areas outside of Legacy.

“Hey Aiman, it burnt through the paperclip,” Jackson said to team member Aiman Khan while the class walked upstairs to pack up and get ready for their next block after the event.