Question

Zorch, an archenemy of Superman, decides to slow Earth’s rotation to once per 27.5 h by exerting a force parallel to the equator, opposing the rotation. He uses an old Saturn V rocket, stolen from NASA, which was originally used to send astronauts to the Moon. This rocket can exert a thrust of F = 3.95 × 10⁷ N.

Answer 1

Zorch needs to exert a force to slow Earth's rotation. Using Newton's second law of motion and the equation F = ma, we can calculate the time Zorch needs to push with the given force to achieve his goal.

Step-by-step explanation:

To slow Earth's rotation, Zorch needs to exert a force that opposes the rotation. He can use the thrust of the stolen Saturn V rocket, which is 3.95 × 10⁷ N. Zorch's goal is to slow Earth's rotation to once per 28.0 h. Using Newton's second law of motion, we can use the equation F = ma to find the acceleration of Earth caused by Zorch's force. Rearranging the equation, we can solve for the time Zorch must push with the given force to accomplish his goal.

To find the time, we can use the equation Δt = Δv / a, where Δt is the time, Δv is the change in velocity, and a is the acceleration. In this case, the change in velocity is the difference between the initial velocity and the final velocity of Earth's rotation. The initial velocity is the rotational speed of Earth, which is the speed of Earth's rotation once per 24 hours, and the final velocity is the speed of Earth's rotation once per 28 hours. By substituting the values into the equation and solving for Δt, we can determine how long Zorch must push with the given force to achieve his goal.