154k views
5 votes
When its engine of power 73 kW is generating full power, a small single-engine airplane with mass 750 kg gains altitude at a rate of 2.0 m/s. What is the power-to-weight ratio of the airplane?

1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

The power-to-weight ratio of an airplane with a 73 kW engine and a mass of 750 kg is calculated by dividing the power in watts by the airplane's weight force in newtons and is 9.92 W/N.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves calculating the power-to-weight ratio of a small single-engine airplane whose engine produces 73 kW of power and has a mass of 750 kg. The power-to-weight ratio is a measure of the power output of the engine per unit of weight. To calculate this, one can divide the engine power by the weight force of the airplane (mass multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity).

The given power output of the engine is 73 kW and the mass of the airplane is 750 kg. Since the acceleration due to gravity is approximately 9.81 m/s2, the weight force (W) can be calculated using W = mass × gravity = 750 kg × 9.81 m/s2 which gives us the weight in Newtons (N). The power-to-weight ratio is then the power in watts (W) divided by weight in Newtons (N).

P/W = Power output (in watts) / Weight (in Newtons)
P/W = 73,000 W / (750 kg × 9.81 m/s2)
P/W = 73,000 W / 7357.5 N
P/W = 9.92 W/N

Therefore, the power-to-weight ratio of the airplane is 9.92 W/N.

User Steven Lambert
by
8.4k points