Question

A toy rocket, launched from the ground, rises vertically with an acceleration of 28 m/s 2 for 9.7 s until its motor stops. Disregarding any air resistance, what maximum height above the ground will the rocket achieve? The acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s 2 .

Answer 1

Answer:

5080.86m

Explanation:

We will divide the problem in parts 1 and 2, and write the equation of accelerated motion with those numbers, taking the upwards direction as positive. For the first part, we have:

$y_1=y_{01}+v_{01}t+\frac{a_1t^2}{2}$

$v_1=v_{01}+a_1t$

We must consider that it's launched from the ground ($y_{01}=0m$) and from rest ($v_{01}=0m/s$), with an upwards acceleration $a_{1}=28m/s^2$ that lasts a time t=9.7s.

We calculate then the height achieved in part 1:

$y_1=(0m)+(0m/s)t+\frac{(28m/s^2)(9.7s)^2}{2}=1317.26m$

And the velocity achieved in part 1:

$v_1=(0m/s)+(28m/s^2)(9.7s)=271.6m/s$

We do the same for part 2, but now we must consider that the initial height is the one achieved in part 1 ($y_{02}=1317.26m$) and its initial velocity is the one achieved in part 1 ($v_{02}=271.6m/s$), now in free fall, which means with a downwards acceleration $a_{2}=-9,8m/s^2$. For the data we have it's faster to use the formula $v_f^2=v_0^2+2ad$, where d will be the displacement, or difference between maximum height and starting height of part 2, and the final velocity at maximum height we know must be 0m/s, so we have:

$v_{02}^2+2a_2(y_2-y_{02})=v_2^2=0m/s$

Then, to get $y_2$, we do:

$2a_2(y_2-y_{02})=-v_{02}^2$

$y_2-y_{02}=-\frac{v_{02}^2}{2a_2}$

$y_2=y_{02}-\frac{v_{02}^2}{2a_2}$

And we substitute the values:

$y_2=y_{02}-\frac{v_{02}^2}{2a_2}=(1317.26m)-\frac{(271.6m/s)^2}{2(-9.8m/s^2)}=5080.86m$