How Do You Calculate Rocket Acceleration and Altitude After Launch?

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SUMMARY

The Saturn-Apollo rocket, with a mass of 5.40 x 105 kg, experiences an initial thrust of 7.40 x 106 N at lift-off, resulting in an acceleration of 3.89 m/s2. The calculation involves using the equations Fg = mg and FNET = ma, where the net force is the thrust minus the gravitational force. After one minute of launch, the rocket reaches an altitude of 233.4 meters, confirming the calculations are fundamentally correct but require careful operational execution.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's Second Law of Motion (FNET = ma)
  • Knowledge of gravitational force calculation (Fg = mg)
  • Basic algebra for solving equations
  • Familiarity with units of measurement in physics (N, kg, m/s2)
NEXT STEPS
  • Study advanced topics in rocket propulsion dynamics
  • Learn about gravitational force variations at different altitudes
  • Explore numerical methods for simulating rocket trajectories
  • Investigate the effects of air resistance on rocket ascent
USEFUL FOR

Aerospace engineers, physics students, and anyone interested in rocket science and dynamics will benefit from this discussion.

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Homework Statement


A Saturn-Apollo rocket has a mass of 5.40 x 105kg. What is the initial acceleration of the rocket if the thrust at lift off is 7.40 x 106 N?
How high will the rocket rise one minute after launch?

Homework Equations


Fg=mg
FNET=ma


The Attempt at a Solution


I used Fg=mg, plugging in 5.5 x 105 for m and 9.8 for g to get Fg=5.292 x 106 N.
I then used the FNET equation as so:
7.4 x 106-5.292 x 106=(5.4 x 105)(a)
And my answer was an acceleration of 3.89m/s2.
For the second question I got that the rocket would reach 233.4m one minute after launch.
Is this correct or how is this done correctly? Thanks!
 
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Your method is correct, but you did the operations wrong I believe. The thrust after lift off is the resultant force. So you need to add that to the weight and then get the acceleration.
 

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