Calculating Forces in a Helicopter Lift: F=ma and Cable Tension

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the forces involved in a helicopter lifting a 1000 kg car while accelerating upward at 0.70 m/s². The downward force exerted by the helicopter's rotors is determined to be 4900 N, although this value is contested as being too low. The correct approach involves treating the combined mass of the helicopter and car as 8000 kg to accurately apply Newton's second law (F=ma) for both parts of the problem. For part (b), the tension in the cable must be calculated using free body diagrams and the net forces acting on the car.

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  • Understanding of Newton's laws of motion, particularly F=ma
  • Ability to create and interpret free body diagrams
  • Basic knowledge of forces, tension, and weight calculations
  • Familiarity with the concept of net force and acceleration
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  • Explore the concepts of tension in cables and forces in lifting systems
  • Review examples of helicopter physics and force calculations in aviation contexts
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Students studying physics, particularly those focusing on mechanics, as well as engineers and professionals involved in aerospace and mechanical design who require a solid understanding of force calculations in lifting scenarios.

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Homework Statement



A 7000 kg helicopter accelerates upward at 0.70 m/s/s while lifting a 1000 kg car to a mountaintop for a TV commercial photo shoot.

a) What is the downward force exerted on the air by the rotors of the helicopter?

b) A steel cable is used to connect the car to the helicopter. What tension must the cable be able to withstand without breaking? (treat the mass of the cable as negligible)

Homework Equations



F=ma

The Attempt at a Solution



for part a, I used the f=ma equation and got the downward force to be 4900 N. But I'm not sure if I did it correctly.
I'm not sure about part b, do I use the force from part a and use the f=ma equation...?
 
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hmm let me try out this qn.

for part (a), if I am not wrong, the downward force exerted on the air by the rotors of the helicopter is much greater than your ans.

*assume that the combined mass of the helicopter and car to be 8000kg, and no air resistance
the lift required to accelerate the combined mass up at 0.7ms-2 is equal and opposite to the force exerted on the air by the rotors by Newton's 3rd Law

For part (b), one way to approach the problem is to isolate either the car or the helicopter and draw a free body diagram. For instance, considering the car by itself, (upwards as the reference direction), Fy=T-Wcar=mcara

If you are considering the helicopter instead, you need part (a) to solve for T
 
we haven't learned about Newton's third law yet.
is there any way to figure out part a with just using Newton's second law or any equations of motion?
 

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