Question

A model airplane with a mass of 0.741 kg is tethered to the ground by a wire so that it flies in a horizontal circle 30.5 m in radius. The airplane engine provides a net thrust of 0.804 N perpendicular to the tethering wire. Find the angular acceleration of the airplane when it is in level flight.

Answer 1

To find the angular acceleration of a model airplane, calculate the net torque produced by the engine and divide by the moment of inertia of the airplane.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is asking to find the angular acceleration of a model airplane which is tethered and flying in a horizontal circle. This is a Physics problem involving concepts such as centripetal force, torque, and rotational motion. To solve for angular acceleration (α), we would use the formula α = net torque (τ) / moment of inertia (I). Assuming we had the moment of inertia for the model airplane, the next step would be to calculate the net torque produced by the engine's thrust. Since angular acceleration is directly proportional to torque (α = τ/I), the torque exerted by the engine would be the engine's thrust multiplied by the radius of the circular path (τ = force x radius), here, 0.804 N times 30.5 m. With the torque and the moment of inertia, we can find the angular acceleration.