What is the acceleration of the balloon and instruments?

[vinny380]

I have tried to solve these problems all day, but to no avail. I am very confused!

8. The instruments attached to a weather balloon have a mass of 5.0 kg. The balloon is released and exerts an upward force of 95N on the instruments.

A. What is the acceleration of the balloon and instruments?

B. After the balloon has accelerated for 10.0s,the instruments are released. What is the velocity of the instruments at the moment of their release?

C. What net forces act on the instruments after their release?

D. When does the direction of their velocity first become downward?

 

[mezarashi]

A. Remember, Fnet = ma.
B. Look for the kinematics equation (Vf = Vi + at)
C. What force acts on an object in free fall?
D. Kinematics equation (Vf = Vi + at): Solve for Vf = 0, that is, for the velocity to change direction it must pass through V = 0.

 

[quicknote]

Hello,

I understand that you have been struggling with these problems and are feeling confused. I am happy to help clarify and provide a response to your questions.

A. To determine the acceleration of the balloon and instruments, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the net force acting on an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration (F=ma). In this scenario, the net force acting on the instruments is 95N (upward force exerted by the balloon). So, we can rearrange the equation to solve for acceleration: a = F/m = 95N/5.0kg = 19 m/s^2. Therefore, the acceleration of the balloon and instruments is 19 m/s^2.

B. After 10.0 seconds, the velocity of the instruments can be calculated using the equation v = u + at, where v is the final velocity, u is the initial velocity (which is 0 in this case), a is the acceleration (calculated in part A), and t is the time (10.0 seconds). So, v = 0 + (19 m/s^2)(10.0s) = 190 m/s. Therefore, the velocity of the instruments at the moment of their release is 190 m/s.

C. After the instruments are released, the only force acting on them is gravity, which is a downward force. So, the net force on the instruments is their weight, which can be calculated using the equation F=mg, where m is the mass (5.0 kg) and g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2). So, the net force acting on the instruments is (5.0 kg)(9.8 m/s^2) = 49N.

D. The direction of the instruments' velocity becomes downward as soon as they are released from the balloon. This is because the only force acting on them is gravity, which pulls them downwards.

I hope this helps to clarify the concepts and solve the problems. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please let me know. Keep up the good work!