| | Category | EN | P19 | Mimicking the Drag Reducing Qualities of Shark Skin |
| | Abstract | The goal of this science fair experiment is to design a shark skin |
| | coating that can be applied to a rocket inorder to decrease the drag. |
| | Everything used in the experiment will be either made or acquired at low |
| | costs. A negative mold will be attempted to be made and then cast on to |
| | the actual rocket using a resin. If that is unable to happen, then a product |
| | designed to model shark skin will be used. |
| | The method of measuring drag will be to place the rocket in a wind |
| | tunnel and then calculate the force and coefficient of drag using the drag |
| | equation. The rocket will also be launched and the maximum height will be |
| | found and that data will be comparded. The hypothesis is that the modified |
| | rocket will have a lower coefficient of drag than the unmodified rocket. |
| | Estes model rockets will be used because they are premanufactured, |
| | which will eliminate a variable. They also have parachutes that allow for |
| | recovery after launching. |
| | Many different conpanies and even the US Navy is doing research in |
| | this feild of shark skin aerodynamics. Most have large budgets and are |
| | testing laser inprints and UV drying paints. |
| | Bibliography | http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Sharkskin-Improves- |
| | Aerodynamics-052510.aspx |
| | |
| | http://marinelife.about.com/od/glossary/g/dermaldenticle.htm |
| | |
| | Donald E. Sabourin, D.D.S. |
| | |
| | http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/anatomy/Skin.shtml |