Question

A 6,000 kg rocket needs to be launched on Earth where there is a gravitational pull of 9.8 m/s² and the force of drag is 200 N. What is the minimal amount of thrust the rocket would need to launch off of the ground?

Answer 1

To launch, the rocket needs a minimum thrust greater than 59,000 N to overcome the gravitational pull of Earth (58,800 N) and the force of drag (200 N).

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is asking for the minimal amount of thrust needed for a rocket to launch off the ground on Earth. To answer this, we will calculate the force needed to overcome both gravitational force (weight) and the force of drag. First, we find the weight of the rocket by multiplying the mass (6,000 kg) by the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²), which equals 58,800 N. Then we sum this with the force of drag (200 N) to find out the total force working against the rocket's thrust. Therefore, the minimum thrust required for the rocket to lift off is the sum of its weight and drag force, which comes to 59,000 N.