Question

A rocket on Earth experiences an upward applied force from its thrusters. As a result of this force, the rocket accelerates upward at 2 m/s2. Assume that there are no other upward forces exerted on the rocket and that wind resistance is negligible. Which of the following combinations of the rocket’s mass mRocket and force from its thrusters FThrusters would result in an upward acceleration of 2 m/s2? Select two answers.

Answer 1

Answer:

F=m(11.8m/s²)

For example, if m=10,000kg, F=118,000N.

Explanation:

There are only two vertical forces acting on the rocket: the force applied from its thrusters F, and its weight mg. So, we can write the equation of motion of the rocket as:

$F-mg=ma$

Solving for the force F, we obtain that:

$F=ma+mg=m(a+g)$

Since we know the values for a (2m/s²) and g (9.8m/s²), we have that:

$F= m(2m/s^{2}+9.8m/s^{2})\\\\F=m(11.8m/s^{2})$

From this relationship, we can calculate some possible values for F and m. For example, if m=10,000kg, we can obtain F:

$F=(10,000kg)(11.8m/s^{2})\\\\F=118,000N$

In this case, the force from the rocket's thrusters is equal to 118,000N.