Find the max altitude reached by the rocket

In summary, Daniel was trying to solve a physics problem and he was not understanding what was being asked of him. He had trouble understanding what the acceleration was on the first part of the ascending trajectory and he also did not understand what the equation was for finding the max height. He was able to find the initial values for the velocity and coordinate components, but was not able to find the max height. He was then able to find the time it would take to fall based on the equation, but he was not able to understand what was being asked of him when it came to finding the max height.
  • #1
hurdler017
10
0
I need help solving a physics problem.
The question is a rocket is launched at an angle of 53o above the horizontal with an initial speed of 100 m/s. It moves for 3 s. along its initial line of motion with an acceleration of 30.0 m/s2. At this time its engines fail and the rocket proceeds to move as a projectile. Find (a) the max altitude reached by the rocket, (b) its total time of flight, and (c) its horizontal range.

The answers in the back of the book have a being 1520, b being 36.1 and c being 4050.
I have tried working on this problem for some time now and I get (a) being 435 so it doesn't allow me to find b and c.
If someone could please help me out I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!
 
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  • #2
At the moment the acceleration is zero (the engine fails),you must compute the velocity and its angle to the coordinate axis and the position wrt the Ox & Oy axis...From the on,it would be simple,really simple.
What forces act on the rocket during the time the engine is running??What about afterwards??

Daniel.
 
  • #3
I don't understand. Let me tell you what I did. I took 100 m/s and i multiplied it by 3 s. I then took that answer and added it when i took 3, squared that and mulitplied that by 30 and took half of that answer. That came out to be 435. So, to find the max height i used the equation to find the displacement. I don't see what I need to do to get 1520.
 
  • #4
That's just wrong...Plain wrong...

[tex] \vec{r}=\vec{r}_{0}+\vec{v}_{0}t+\frac{1}{2}\vec{a}t^{2} [/tex]

Use this equation and the geometry of the problem (plus the fact that the acceleration on the first part of the ascending trajectory is not really the one given by the engine) to solve it...

Daniel.
 
  • #5
what does the Ro stand for? Thanks for the help too. I appreciate it
 
  • #6
Aaaa,u mean [tex] \vec{r}_{0} [/tex] ...Okay.It's the traditional notation for the position vector at the initial moment of time (chosen by me to be zero)...
Pretty straightforward...

What is the acceleration on the first part of the ascending trajectory??"x"-comp,"y" component...

Daniel.
 
  • #7
I think for that it would be 79.8 and 60.2. I took the cosine and sine of 53 and multiplied it by 100
 
  • #8
Okay,those are the values for the initial velocity components.U need the initial values for the acceleration vector components..;

Daniel.
 
  • #9
ahh ok. 23.6 and 18.05
 
  • #10
Did u forget to drop 9.8m/s^{2}from the initial "y" component??It seems that way...

Daniel.
 
  • #11
yeah, I did thanks. Ok, now i have those numbers I don't understand how I would use those numbers to get the max height.
 
  • #12
Okay,project the vector equation i gave and use the 4 numbers to determine the other 4 numbers (2 for velocity & 2 for coordinate) of the point from where the rocket is in free fall...

Daniel.
 
  • #13
I'm sorry but I don't think I understand. I projected the equation and I don't know what I'm trying to solve and what to plug in. I'm sorry I'm stupid about this stuff
 
  • #14
I found this posted about the same problem I'm working on

I am solving it for a general solution, v be the initial velocity, h be the max. height, a be the acceleration, t be the time during which it accelerated, x is angle of projection.
h1 = vt - 0.5(g-asinx)t^2
(g - asinx) net acceleration in downward direction.
now it already had velocity so it raise further
h2 = [(vf^2)/2g] where vf is the final velocity when power is off.
h = h1 + h2
Total time of flight T,
This one is a shortcut tech. max. height attained h, let the body is droped from heigh h and then solve it for time taken
t1 = (2h/a)^0.5 a is total acceleration.
t1 is the time taken to fall, but under standerd condition time taken to attain the height h willalso be t1
T = 2*t1

I still don't understand what it's talking about but it might be easier for you to explain with these equations or the one you gave me. It doesn't matter either way thanks for doing this
 
  • #15
What are you having problems on?
 
  • #16
I don't understand which equation to use. I was talking to the other guy on here and he was trying to explain it to me but i didnt understand. He gave me some equation above and I don't know how to plug in my numbers into that equation.
 
  • #17
can anyone help me?
 

1. What is the purpose of finding the max altitude reached by the rocket?

Finding the max altitude reached by the rocket is important for determining the performance and efficiency of the rocket. It can also provide valuable data for future rocket designs and missions.

2. How is the max altitude of a rocket determined?

The max altitude of a rocket is typically determined through data collected by sensors on the rocket, such as barometers or altimeters. This data is then analyzed and compared to known atmospheric conditions to calculate the altitude.

3. Can the max altitude of a rocket vary between launches?

Yes, the max altitude of a rocket can vary between launches due to factors such as changes in weather conditions, launch angle, and payload weight. It is important for scientists to analyze and compare data from multiple launches to accurately determine the average max altitude.

4. What factors can affect the max altitude of a rocket?

Several factors can affect the max altitude of a rocket, including the thrust of the rocket engine, the weight and size of the rocket, atmospheric conditions, and gravity. Any changes or variations in these factors can impact the max altitude reached by the rocket.

5. How can the max altitude of a rocket be improved?

The max altitude of a rocket can be improved through various methods, such as increasing the thrust of the rocket engine, reducing the weight of the rocket, and optimizing the launch angle and trajectory. Continuous testing and analysis of data can also help scientists identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to increase the max altitude reached by the rocket.

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