How Far Should a Helicopter Drop a Food Packet for Flood Victims?

[gracy]

Just drop something from rest, don't throw it.

hmmm...dropping something doesn't require force instead it is taking our force back which we were exerting by holding it.so in throwing case initial velocity can not be zero?

 

[MayCaesar]

hmmm...dropping something doesn't require force instead it is taking our force back which we were exerting by holding it.so in throwing case initial velocity can not be zero?

Recall the First Newton's Law. It says something about inertial systems. Try to apply it to this problem. What inertial system would you consider using in this particular case?
Hint: try to find a system in which velocity of the dropping package will be easy to determine.
Hint 2: assume that air resistance is negligible, zero. What does it imply?

 

[gracy]

Recall the First Newton's Law. It says something about inertial systems. Try to apply it to this problem. What inertial system would you consider using in this particular case?
Hint: try to find a system in which velocity of the dropping package will be easy to determine.
Hint 2: assume that air resistance is negligible, zero. What does it imply?

Newton's first law of motion -An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an external unbalanced force.how this can help me to get the answer of my question -in throwing case initial velocity can not be zero?

 

[MayCaesar]

Newton's first law of motion -An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an external unbalanced force.how this can help me to get the answer of my question -in throwing case initial velocity can not be zero?

Suppose you are standing in your room holding an apple. You drop an apple on the floor by just opening your palm, without any additional motion. What is the initial vertical velocity of the apple? What is the initial horizontal velocity?
Now, suppose you are standing in a helicopter moving to the east at a constant velocity. You drop an apple on the floor inside helicopter. What are the initial vertical and horizontal velocities in your frame system (connected to the helicopter)?
Now let's consider our case: you drop the apple and it falls down to the ground. How are its horizontal and vertical velocities change over time in your frame system? And how is your frame system moving relative to the ground?

If you are confused about the way the object is dropped, I believe it is assumed that no one throws it with force, it is just held in hands and then starts falling down solely by the force of gravity.

 

[gracy]

Suppose you are standing in your room holding an apple. You drop an apple on the floor by just opening your palm, without any additional motion. What is the initial vertical velocity of the apple? What is the initial horizontal velocity?

zero.

 

[gracy]

Now, suppose you are standing in a helicopter moving to the east at a constant velocity. You drop an apple on the floor inside helicopter. What are the initial vertical and horizontal velocities in your frame system (connected to the helicopter)?

initial horizontal velocity=that constant velocity with which the helicopter was moving.initial vertical velocity=zero

 

[lep11]

zero.

yes, it starts from rest, right?

 

[lep11]

initial horizontal velocity=that constant velocity with which the helicopter was moving.initial vertical velocity=zero

Yes, in that case the initial vertical velocity is zero but the horizontal initial velocity relative to the helicopter is also zero. The initial horizontal velocity relative to the ground is v_ox. When the package is dropped from the helicopter, the package is no more tied to the coordinate system of the helicopter but instead it is tied to the coordinate system of the Earth and we assume the surface of the Earth to be completely level when the distance traveled is "very small".

 

[gracy]

dropping something doesn't require force instead it is taking our force back which we were exerting by holding it.so in dropping case initial velocity can be zero.but in throwing case,force must be present to throw something that force always give momentum and in turn velocity .so initial velocity can not be zero in throwing object?

 

[lep11]

dropping something doesn't require force instead it is taking our force back which we were exerting by holding

You don't have to throw it down to cause the ball to fall because the force of gravity causes the object to accelerate towards the Earth as you are no more providing the normal force to counter gravity.