This web page contains a homework assignment that asks the student to solve problems based on the launch and flight of a rocket.  Developed as an alternative to traditional textbook homework, this item is based on the work of the Activity Based Physics project (ABP).  Students must make estimations and build their own mathematical models to determine which concepts of classical mechanics apply to each section of the problem set.  Topics covered include kinematics, Newton's second law, conservation of energy, and projectile motion.

This item is part of a larger collection of alternative homework assignments designed for introductory physics students.  Each assignment poses a series of questions about a single context.  To successfully complete assignments, students must think critically about how the physical situation could be represented by mathematics.