Free falling object and Newtons law

In summary, the conversation discusses a plane flying at constant speed and height dropping a bundle of supplies to a castaway on a raft. Newton's second law, F=ma, is mentioned to calculate the bundle's position as a function of time, neglecting air resistance. The pilot must drop the bundle a certain distance before the raft to hit it, and this distance can be calculated using the given variables of v=50 m/s, h=100m, and g=10m/s^2. Within a time interval of +/- delta t, the pilot must drop the bundle to land within +/- 10 m of the raft. The conversation also mentions using first principles to calculate the position and velocity of the bundle.
  • #1
Oblio
398
0
A plane which is flying at constant speed v, and a height h, above the sea, must drop a bundle of supplies to a castaway of a small raft.

a) write down Newtons second law for the bundle as it falls from the plane, assuming you can neglect air resistance. Solve your equation to give the bundles position in flight as a function of time t.
b) How far before the raft (measured horizantally) must the pilot drop the bundle if it is to hit the raft? What is this distance if v=50 m/s, h=100m, and g=10m/s^2.
c.) within what time interval (+/- delta t) must the pilot drop the bundle if it is to land within +/- 10 m of the raft?

I believe that Newton's second law for the bundle would just be F=mg wouldn't it? I'm not sure what it means by solve the equation to give the position as a function of time, I think it might be talking about b.) and on?

Do i start with this for b.) ?
r = v + m10t^2 ?

thanks!
 
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  • #2
I'm guessing they want you to do part a) from first principles... F = ma, so -mg = ma, a = -g... then integrate to get velocity... and integrate again to get position... I'm guessing.

For part b) you need the time when the bundle hits the water... from that get the horizontal displacement.
 
  • #3
my force and mass should be constants right?
 
  • #4
Oblio said:
my force and mass should be constants right?

yes.
 

1. What is a free falling object?

A free falling object is any object that is only under the influence of gravity. This means that there are no other forces acting on the object, such as air resistance.

2. What is Newton's First Law of Motion?

Newton's First Law of Motion, also known as the Law of Inertia, states that an object at rest will remain at rest and an object in motion will remain in motion at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force.

3. How does Newton's Second Law of Motion relate to free falling objects?

Newton's Second Law of Motion states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. In the case of a free falling object, the only force acting on it is gravity, causing it to accelerate towards the ground at a rate of 9.8 meters per second squared.

4. Can an object ever truly experience free fall?

No, an object can never truly experience free fall as there will always be some air resistance acting on it. However, in situations where air resistance is negligible, such as in a vacuum, an object can come very close to experiencing free fall.

5. How does the mass of an object affect its free fall?

The mass of an object does not affect its free fall. According to Newton's Second Law, the acceleration of an object due to gravity is independent of its mass. This means that all objects, regardless of their mass, will fall towards the ground at the same rate in a vacuum.

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