Question

A jet is flying with an air speed of 500 m/s. A parcel is dropped out of the plane. Assume that it takes 40 seconds for the parcel to hit the ground.. Assume no air resistance.a. How high is the jet?b. How far forward horizontally from the spot where it leaves the jet, does the parcel move during those 40 seconds?c. Where is the parcel relative to the jet?

Answer 1

(a) When the parcel is dropped from the plane, the parcel will only have a initial horizontal velocity of 500 m/s. In the downwards direction only the acceleration will be there (The acceleration due to gravity). It is given that it took 40 seconds to reach the ground, hence we can calculate the total distance travelled in this time as (This will be the height of the flying jet),

(b) Since there is no acceleration in the horizontal direction, the horizontal velocity will remain constant and hence we can calculate the horizontal distance travelled (relative to the ground ie, relative to the point from where the parcel was released) as,

(c) In this time the plane would have also travelled a distance of 20000 m (Since it also has the same horizontal velocity), therefore when the parcel hits the ground, the plane and parcel would be at the same distance horizontally. It will be like the jet will be just above the parcel at a height of 7848 m when the parcel reaches the ground.