Calculating Force on Aircraft Carrier John F. Kennedy

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around calculating the force of water resistance acting on the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy, which has a mass of 7.4*10^7 kg and operates at a top speed of 35 knots with an engine power of 280,000 hp. Participants clarify that 70% of the engine's power is used for propulsion, while 30% is lost to water resistance and other factors. The correct approach involves converting the speed to meters per second and the power to watts, then using the formula P=F*v to find the force exerted by the ship. Since the ship moves at a constant speed, the force of water resistance equals the force produced by the ship, confirming that the forces balance out. The conclusion emphasizes that at constant speed, the total force on the ship is zero, meaning the water resistance matches the thrust generated by the engines.
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Homework Statement


The aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy has mass 7.4*10^7kg. When its engines are developing their full power of 280000 hp, the John F. Kennedy travels at its top speed of 35 knots.

If 70% of the power output of the engines is applied to pushing the ship through the water, what is the magnitude of the force of water resistance that opposes the carrier's motion at this speed?


Homework Equations


P=F*v

The Attempt at a Solution



Not sure if I understand the question correctly. What I did was convert 35 knots into m/s which was 18.06m/s. I converted the power from hp to watts to get 208880000watts. I divided the watts by the velocity to get force. If this is correct, this would be the force of the boat and not the water correct? Would the resistance be the 30% that the force loses?
 
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Apparently 30% of the power is lost in the drive train and propeller.
Take 70% of the power and use it in the formula to find F.
 
Alright so couldn't I just find the total from what I did above, then dividing the power by the velocity to get force and then multiple that by .3 to get teh water resistance? 70% is going forward while the other 30% is water resistance?

EDIT: Hmm that not correct.

I really don't know what I need to do. I found the power in watts, divided by the velocity in m/s and then that should be the power the ship is producing, in which 30% is lost to water resistance right?
 
Last edited:
Delphi51 said:
Apparently 30% of the power is lost in the drive train and propeller.
Take 70% of the power and use it in the formula to find F.
Would this just mean that the force of water resistance is equal to the force of the ship?
 
Would this just mean that the force of water resistance is equal to the force of the ship?
Yes. Motion at constant speed, so acceleration is zero and the total force on the ship is zero.
 
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