If a rocket with a mass of #3500# tons vertically accelerates at a rate of #1/2# #ms^-2#, how much power will the rocket have to exert to maintain its acceleration at 15 seconds?

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Answer 1 · 2017-12-06T07:11:26

The power is #=270.4MW#

The mass of the rocket is #m=3500000kg#

The acceleration of the rocket is #a=1/2ms^-2#

The acceleration due to gravity is #=9.8ms^-2#

According to Newton's second Law, the net force on the rocket is

#F=m(a+g)=3500000*(9.8+0.5)=36050000N#

Assuming that the initial velocity of the rocket is #u=0ms^-1#

The velocity after #t=15s# is

#v=u+at=0+0.5*15=7.5ms^-1#

The power is

#P=Fv=36050000*7.5=2704000000W=270375kW=270.4MW#