Rocket Velocity and Acceleration Calculation

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on calculating the speed and acceleration of a rocket in space that ejects fuel at a specific velocity. The rocket burns 10% of its mass over 340 seconds, leading to a 5% mass reduction after 170 seconds. Participants clarify the use of the natural logarithm in the velocity formula and the significance of the remaining mass ratio (0.95) after the burn. There is confusion about the role of gravitational acceleration (g) in space, as well as the rationale behind the time intervals provided in the problem statement. The thread highlights the importance of careful reading of the problem to avoid misinterpretations.
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Homework Statement


Consider a rocket in space that ejects burned fuel at a speed of v_ex= 2.0 km/s with respect to the rocket. The rocket burns 10 % of its mass in 340 s (assume the burn rate is constant).

(a) What is the speed v of the rocket after a burn time of 170.0 s? (suppose that the rocket starts at rest; and enter your answer in m/s) ?
(b) What is the instantaneous acceleration of the rocket at time 170.0 s after the start of the engines?(in m/s^2 ) ?

Homework Equations



v_f = -v_ex*ln(m_final/m_initial) - g*burn time

The Attempt at a Solution



I plugged in the data, getting -2000*ln(0.95) - g*170, but got the velocity wrong. I have no idea where I went wrong, and I am stuck here, along with finding the acceleration. Can someone please help me get unstuck here. Thanks and sorry to be a bother.
 
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EDIT : What I wrote here was wrong
 
Last edited:
What is g in space?
 
In addition to BOYLANATOR's post, where does the 0.95 come from?
 
0.95 comes from the final mass over initial mass, since after 170.0 seconds, you have 95% of the original mass left (other 5% mass was burned already)
 
Oh 10% in 340s... okay, I missed that part. Where is the point in the second 170 seconds?
 
what you mean?
 
Because, 10% of mass burned every 340 seconds, so 5% of mass burned every 170 seconds, therefore I got the 0.95
 
I agree, I didn't read the problem statement careful enough.
I was just wondering why the problem statement gives the fuel burnt in 340 seconds and then just asks for the rocket after 170 seconds.
 
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Did you manage to solve the problem?
 
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