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Ch 02: Kinematics in One Dimension
Chapter 2, Problem 6

b. The motor of a 350 g model rocket generates 9.5 N thrust. If air resistance can be neglected, what will be the rocket's speed as it reaches a height of 85 m?

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Identify the given values: mass of the rocket (m) = 350 g = 0.35 kg, thrust (F) = 9.5 N, and the height (h) = 85 m.
Calculate the net force acting on the rocket. Since air resistance is neglected, the only forces are the thrust upwards and gravity downwards. Use the formula for net force, F_{net} = F - mg, where g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s^2).
Use Newton's second law, F = ma, to find the acceleration (a) of the rocket. Rearrange the formula to a = F_{net} / m.
Apply the kinematic equation to find the final velocity (v) of the rocket as it reaches the height of 85 m, assuming it starts from rest. Use v^2 = u^2 + 2as, where u is the initial velocity (0 m/s), a is the acceleration found in step 3, and s is the height (85 m).
Solve for v to find the rocket's speed as it reaches 85 m. This will give you the final velocity at that height.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Newton's Second Law of Motion

Newton's Second Law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. This principle is crucial for understanding how the thrust generated by the rocket's motor affects its motion. The formula F = ma (force equals mass times acceleration) allows us to calculate the rocket's acceleration based on the thrust and its mass.
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Kinematic Equations

Kinematic equations describe the motion of objects under constant acceleration. In this scenario, we can use these equations to relate the rocket's initial velocity, final velocity, acceleration, and displacement. Specifically, the equation v^2 = u^2 + 2as can be applied, where v is the final velocity, u is the initial velocity, a is the acceleration, and s is the displacement (height).
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Conservation of Energy

The principle of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. In the context of the rocket, the work done by the thrust converts into kinetic energy as the rocket ascends. At the maximum height, the kinetic energy will be at its peak, and potential energy will be at its maximum, allowing us to analyze the energy transformations involved in the rocket's flight.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Ann and Carol are driving their cars along the same straight road. Carol is located at x = 2.4 mi at t = 0 h and drives at a steady 36 mph. Ann, who is traveling in the same direction, is located at x = 0.0 mi at t = 0.50 h and drives at a steady 50 mph.


c. Draw a position-versus-time graph showing the motion of both Ann and Carol.

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For an object starting from rest and accelerating with constant acceleration, distance traveled is proportional to the square of the time. If an object travels 2.0 furlongs in the first 2.0 s, how far will it travel in the first 4.0 s?
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You throw a 5.5 g coin straight down at 4.0 m/s from a 35-m-high bridge. (b) What is the speed of the coin just as it hits the water?
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A rocket in deep space has an empty mass of 150 kg and exhausts the hot gases of burned fuel at 2500 m/s . It is loaded with 600 kg of fuel, which it burns in 30 s. What is the rocket's speed 10 s, 20 s, and 30 s after launch?
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b. A rocket with a total mass of 330,000 kg when fully loaded burns all 280,000 kg of fuel in 250 s. The engines generate 4.1 MN of thrust. What is this rocket's speed at the instant all the fuel has been burned if it is launched in deep space? If it is launched vertically from the earth?
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