Calculating Space Shuttle Takeoff, Acceleration, Weight & Air Friction

In summary, the conversation discusses various problems related to calculating acceleration, weight, and air friction of a space shuttle. Formulas for calculating these quantities are provided and explained.
  • #1
EK03
6
0
I got some questions that I am blanking out on, if someone could tell me what forumla i use i would greatly appreciate it. 1 problem is about a space shuttle taking off that takes 200 seconds to reach its cruising speed of 11,200 m/s or 25 thousand mph, i have to find out at what rate it accelerates.
2. to calculate a G I divide the acceleration by 10 correct?
3. how do i calculate the weight of the rocket? I have the accelration, mass and force information of it i just need a formula
4. how can i calculate the air friction? its got 20% more magnitiude then the weight of the rocket.
 
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  • #2
Originally posted by EK03
1 problem is about a space shuttle taking off that takes 200 seconds to reach its cruising speed of 11,200 m/s or 25 thousand mph, i have to find out at what rate it accelerates.
This depends on whether the acceleration is uniform. If it is, then
[tex]a=\frac{v_f-v_i}{\Delta t}[/tex]

Originally posted by EK03
2. to calculate a G I divide the acceleration by 10 correct?
No. At the surface of the Earth g=9.8m/s2. To calculate g, you can divide the weight of an object by its mass.
[tex]w=mg[/tex]
Or you can plug in the Earth's radius into
[tex]\frac{F}{m}=g=\frac{GM}{r^2}[/tex], where M is the mass of the Earth and G=6.67x10-11Nm2/kg2

Originally posted by EK03
3. how do i calculate the weight of the rocket? I have the accelration, mass and force information of it i just need a formula
Again, w=mg.

Originally posted by EK03
4. how can i calculate the air friction? its got 20% more magnitiude then the weight of the rocket.
The weight is w=mg. The friction force is 20% greater than this, so
Ff=(1.2)w

Hope that helps!
 
  • #3


1. To find the acceleration, you can use the formula a = (vf - vi)/t, where a is the acceleration, vf is the final velocity (11,200 m/s), vi is the initial velocity (0 m/s), and t is the time (200 seconds). This will give you an acceleration of 56 m/s^2.
2. Yes, to calculate the G-force, you divide the acceleration by the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2). In this case, the G-force would be approximately 5.7 Gs.
3. The formula for weight is W = mg, where W is the weight, m is the mass, and g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2). So if you have the mass and acceleration, you can multiply them to find the weight of the rocket.
4. To calculate air friction, you can use the formula F = 0.2W, where F is the air friction force and W is the weight of the rocket. So if you have the weight of the rocket, you can multiply it by 0.2 to find the air friction force.
 

1. What is the weight of the space shuttle during takeoff?

The weight of the space shuttle during takeoff varies depending on the cargo and number of crew members, but on average it is around 4.5 million pounds.

2. How is the acceleration of the space shuttle calculated during takeoff?

The acceleration of the space shuttle during takeoff is calculated using Newton's second law of motion, which states that force equals mass times acceleration. By knowing the mass of the shuttle and the force produced by the engines, the acceleration can be determined.

3. What is the role of air friction during a space shuttle takeoff?

Air friction, also known as drag, plays a significant role in space shuttle takeoff. As the shuttle moves through the Earth's atmosphere, it experiences resistance from the air. This resistance creates drag, which must be overcome by the engines in order for the shuttle to continue accelerating.

4. How does the weight of the space shuttle change during takeoff?

The weight of the space shuttle gradually decreases during takeoff as fuel is burned and the mass of the shuttle decreases. This is known as the "burnout effect" and is taken into account when calculating the acceleration of the shuttle.

5. What is the maximum speed that a space shuttle can reach during takeoff?

The maximum speed that a space shuttle can reach during takeoff is around 17,500 miles per hour. This is known as orbital velocity and is necessary for the shuttle to enter into orbit around the Earth.

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