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a towplane tows a glider weighing 700 pounds from a field elevation of 6000 feet msl to an altitude of 9000 feet msl. the glider releases from tow and establishes an airspeed of 60 knots.

User Nacho B
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Final answer:

This high school physics question involves the application of aeronautical principles to calculate lift and terminal velocity for a glider and skydivers, respectively, requiring knowledge of air density, airspeed, and the dynamics of falling objects.

Step-by-step explanation:

The subject of the question revolves around principles in physics, particularly those related to aeronautics and the physics of flight. The grade level at which this question is targeted would likely be high school, as it involves application of concepts such as lift, drag, air density, and terminal velocity, which are generally taught at this educational stage.

One critical aspect addressed in the context of this question is the principle that aircraft wings should generate about 1000 N of lift per square meter. To achieve this lift, the airspeed over the upper surface of the wing must be faster than the airspeed underneath, based on the Bernoulli principle. For an aircraft traveling at 60.0 m/s at sea level where air density is 1.29 kg/m³, the lift formula would be used to calculate the required velocity over the wing's upper surface to generate the needed lift.

Additionally, terminal velocity calculations for skydivers of different masses and assumptions about frontal areas allow us to estimate how long it would take them to reach the ground from a certain altitude. This involves understanding the forces of gravity and air resistance and how they interact to bring an object to its terminal velocity.

User Adam Florin
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