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Ch 04: Newton's Laws of Motion
Chapter 4, Problem 5

An astronaut is inside a 2.25 × 106 kg rocket that is blasting off vertically from the launch pad. You want this rocket to reach the speed of sound (331 m/s) as quickly as possible, but astronauts are in danger of blacking out at an acceleration greater than 4g. (a) What is the maximum initial thrust this rocket's engines can have but just barely avoid blackout? Start with a free-body diagram of the rocket.

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Draw a free-body diagram for the rocket. Include the force of gravity acting downwards (weight = mass × gravitational acceleration) and the thrust force from the rocket engines acting upwards.
Set up the equation for net force acting on the rocket using Newton's second law, F_net = ma, where m is the mass of the rocket and a is the acceleration of the rocket.
Since the maximum acceleration to avoid blackout is 4g (where g is the acceleration due to gravity, approximately 9.8 m/s^2), set the acceleration in your equation to 4g.
Rearrange the equation to solve for the thrust (F_thrust). Remember that the net force is the difference between the thrust and the weight of the rocket, so F_net = F_thrust - weight.
Substitute the values for m, g, and 4g into the equation to find the maximum thrust that keeps the acceleration at or below 4g.

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Key Concepts

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

Free-Body Diagram

A free-body diagram is a graphical representation used to visualize the forces acting on an object. In the context of the rocket, it helps identify the forces such as thrust, gravitational force, and any other acting forces. By analyzing these forces, one can determine the net force and subsequently the acceleration of the rocket, which is crucial for understanding how to achieve the desired speed without exceeding safe acceleration limits.
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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, expressed as F = ma. This principle is essential for calculating the maximum thrust the rocket can generate while ensuring that the resulting acceleration does not exceed 4g (where g is the acceleration due to gravity). Understanding this law allows for the determination of the thrust needed to achieve the desired speed safely.
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Acceleration and G-Forces

Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity of an object, and it is often expressed in terms of g-forces, where 1g is equivalent to the acceleration due to Earth's gravity (approximately 9.81 m/s²). In this scenario, the astronaut can tolerate an acceleration of up to 4g, which translates to a maximum acceleration of about 39.24 m/s². This concept is critical for ensuring that the rocket's thrust does not exceed this limit, preventing the risk of blackout for the astronauts during launch.
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Textbook Question
An astronaut is inside a 2.25 × 106 kg rocket that is blasting off vertically from the launch pad. You want this rocket to reach the speed of sound (331 m/s) as quickly as possible, but astronauts are in danger of blacking out at an acceleration greater than 4g. (b) What force, in terms of the astronaut's weight w, does the rocket exert on her? Start with a free-body diagram of the astronaut.
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