Question

"Assuming the falcon heavy rocket has a launch mass of about 1.4 x 10⁶ kg and it takes about 400 seconds to obtain a top speed of 2.46 x 10⁴ mph, determine the following using scientific notation:

a) The weightin pounds.
b) Convert the top speed to meters/second.
c) Determine the acceleration in m/s^2 (Hint, recall a = (delta v)/ (delta t)) d) Determine the net force in newtons produced by the rocket engines to achieve the top speed. (Hint recall Newton's 2nd law F = ma) *"

Answer 1

The student asked for calculations related to the Falcon Heavy rocket's launch mass and top speed. The weight in pounds, speed in m/s, acceleration in m/s², and net force in newtons were requested, using given values and scientific notation to perform the conversions and calculations.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student asked to determine various attributes of a Falcon Heavy rocket assuming it has a launch mass of about 1.4 x 10⁶ kg and it takes about 400 seconds to obtain a top speed of 2.46 x 10⁴ mph.

• (a) The weight in pounds: First, convert the mass from kilograms to pounds by multiplying by the conversion factor (1 kg = 2.20462 lbs). The weight (W) in pounds is given by the equation W = mg, where 'm' is the mass in pounds and 'g' is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²).
• (b) Convert the top speed to meters/second: To convert 2.46 x 10⁴ mph to meters/second, use the conversion factor (1 mile = 1609.34 meters and 1 hour = 3600 seconds).
• (c) Determine the acceleration in m/s²: Acceleration (a) can be calculated using the formula a = (Δv) / (Δt), where Δv is the change in velocity and Δt is the change in time.
• (d) Determine the net force in newtons: Use Newton's second law, F = ma, where 'F' is the force in newtons, 'm' is the mass in kilograms, and 'a' is the acceleration in m/s².

Please note these calculations assume the force of gravity is similar to Earth's and air resistance is negligible, which may not be accurate in an actual space launch scenario.