Question

Here's your chance to be a rocket scientist! As mentioned in lecture, the reason rockets tip over and fire their rockets parallel to the earth's surface is so that the rockets increase speed; they do not compete directly with gravity, which is allowed to alter the rocket's direction.You are able at this point to make a rough calculation of the length of time a rocket must fire its engines. The rocket's horizontal velocity is initially zero, but when it achieves orbit the horizontal velocity is enough to keep the rocket in uniform circular motion at a distance of 6.50 x 10^6 meters from the center of the earth, the gravity of which causes a centripetal acceleration of 9.80 m/s^2. If the rocket causes a constant horizontal acceleration of 15.0 m/s^2, a) how much time is required for the rocket to acquire its final velocity? b) how far does the rocket travel to acquire its final velocity? Note: once you find the final velocity, this is a one-dimensional problem.

Answer 1