Newton's Laws of Motion

[plshelpme]

Suppose the rocket is coming in for a vertical landing at the surface of the earth. The captain adjusts the engine thrust so that rocket slows down at the rate of 2.50m/s^2 . A 8.00-kg instrument is hanging by a vertical wire inside a space ship.

1]Draw a free-body diagram for the instrument.

2]Find the force that the wire exerts on the instrument.

[CompuChip]

Welcome to PF.

I wonder why you didn't use the template that is provided when you make a new post... anyway, what did you come up with?
What does your free body diagram look like? Which forces are acting on the block, in what directions and possibly magnitudes?

[plshelpme]

Welcome to PF.

I wonder why you didn't use the template that is provided when you make a new post... anyway, what did you come up with?
What does your free body diagram look like? Which forces are acting on the block, in what directions and possibly magnitudes?

w=mg acting on the instrument downwards. tension acting upwards. with a downward accelerating force.

my attempted ans for qn 2 is mg - T = 2.5 * 8. gives the wrong tension result...

can enlight me on where the mistake lies???

[LowlyPion]

If the rocket is slowing, then the acceleration of the rocket is 2.5 upwards. This means that the Tension will be mg+2.5m = T = m*(g + 2.5)

Even though the ship has downward velocity - in the direction of gravity - I read it that the speed is slowing at 2.5, hence this will create a force (m*a) in addition to gravity that will add to the force of gravity in the tension on the instrument won't it?