Rockets (Development)

Announcements:
Next midterm a week from
Thursday (3/15). Chapters
69 will be covered
Introduce change of
momentum due to varying
mass.
Material from Chapter 9.12

Web page: http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phys1110/phys1110_sp12/

Clickers Not Synched with Students

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registered. Check D2L

Clicker question 1

Set frequency to BA

A rocket is launched straight up, and the net force

on the rocket as a function of time is shown in this
graph. The rocket travels straight up (defined to be
positive here.)

Between t=1 hr and 3 hrs, what happens to the speed of the rocket?
A). The rocket is speeding up the whole time
B) The rocket is slowing down the whole time.
C) The rocket is moving with a constant speed the whole time.
D) The rocket is speeding up for awhile, and then it slows down.
E) There is not enough information given to decide.

Clicker question 1

Set frequency to BA

A rocket is launched straight up, and the net force

on the rocket as a function of time is shown in this
graph. The rocket travels straight up (defined to be
positive here.)

Between t=1 hr and 3 hrs, what happens to the speed of the rocket?
A). The rocket is speeding up the whole time
B) The rocket is slowing down the whole time.
C) The rocket is moving with a constant speed the whole time.
D) The rocket is speeding up for awhile, and then it slows down.
E) There is not enough information given to decide.
The force is positive the whole time, which means a is positive the whole time, and
positive acceleration, starting from rest, means you speed up the WHOLE time!

Clicker question 2

Set frequency to BA

Inside the rocket, there is some payload, as

shown. On the left is Rover I (RI). On the
right is Rover II (RII), which is identical to
RI. Sitting on top of RII is a sensor package
(S) which weighs much less than the Rovers
do.
At t=1 hr, how does the acceleration of sensor (S) compare to the acceleration
of Rover II?
A) a(S) = a(RII)
B) a(S) < a(RII)
C) a(S) > a(RII)
D) Without knowing more numbers, we cannot decide how the accelerations of
S and RII compare.

Clicker question 2

Set frequency to BA

Inside the rocket, there is some payload, as

shown. On the left is Rover I (RI). On the
right is Rover II (RII), which is identical to
RI. Sitting on top of RII is a sensor package
(S) which weighs much less than the Rovers
do.
At t=1 hr, how does the acceleration of sensor (S) compare to the acceleration
of Rover II?
A) a(S) = a(RII)
B) a(S) < a(RII)
C) a(S) > a(RII)
D) Without knowing more numbers, we cannot decide how the accelerations of
S and RII compare.
The two packages touch each other, they have the same motion,
the same acceleration.

Clicker question 3

Set frequency to BA

Consider the following two statements and

decide if they are true or false.
i) At any given instant in time between t=1 and
t=4 hrs, the magnitude of the normal force of
the floor on RI is equal to the magnitude of the
normal force of the floor on RII
ii) Between t=0 and 5 hrs, the absolute value of the work
done by the normal force of the floor on RI is equal to the
absolute value of the work done by the normal force of the
floor on RII
A) Without knowing more numbers, we cannot decide whether these
statements are true or false.
B) Both statements are true
C) i is true, but ii is false.
D) i is false, but ii is true
E) Both statements are false.

Clicker question 3

Set frequency to BA

Consider the following two statements and

decide if they are true or false.
i) At any given instant in time between t=1 and
t=4 hrs, the magnitude of the normal force of
the floor on RI is equal to the magnitude of the
normal force of the floor on RII
ii) Between t=0 and 5 hrs, the absolute value of the work
done by the normal force of the floor on RI is equal to the
absolute value of the work done by the normal force of the
floor on RII
A) Without knowing more numbers, we cannot decide whether these
statements are true or false.
B) Both statements are true
C) i is true, but ii is false.
D) i is false, but ii is true
E) Both statements are false.

Rover Question Response

i) This statement is false. Just think about it: the floor has to "hold
up" (even accelerate!) more on the right than it does on the left.
The normal force of the floor on rover I is given by F_net = ma, which
means N-mg = ma, or N (on I) =m(g+a), where m is the mass of
Rover I. For Rover II, consider the SYSTEM RoverII+sensor: the
normal force on this is given by N (on II) = (m+msensor)*(g+a),
which is manifestly bigger than N(on I)
ii) This is false. Since the normal force is bigger on the RII, the work
will also be larger. (Distance is same)

Clicker question 4

Set frequency to BA

A student is asked to sketch a force diagram for Rover II only, as

viewed from the ground just after launch ("N" represents "normal",
W represents "Weight") Note that none of the diagrams are
complete, because the student has not properly labeled forces "ON
object BY object", but which is best

Clicker question 4

Set frequency to BA

A student is asked to sketch a force diagram for Rover II only, as

viewed from the ground just after launch ("N" represents "normal",
W represents "Weight") Note that none of the diagrams are
complete, because the student has not properly labeled forces "ON
object BY object", but which is best

D is correct. There is the normal force of the floor UP, the weight
DOWN, and the normal force of the sensor pushing DOWN.

Rocket Equations

The two states of the system are shown at

instants
t and t + t. Initially, whole mass M moves
with V .
After t time, M moves with relative
velocity Vrel while the rest (M-M) moves

with V + V . Note that absolute velocity of M is

Vrel + V + V

Rocket Equation
On the System

Pf Pi
P
Fext = lim
= lim
t
t 0 t
t 0

Pf = (M M)(V + V ) + M(Vrel + V + V )

Pi = MV

Pf Pi MV + MVrel
=
t
t

dP
dV dm
t 0
=M
+
Vrel
dt
dt
dt

Rockets cont.

dP
dV dm
Fext =
=M
+
Vrel
dt
dt
dt

dV dm
dm
Fext = M
+
Vrel = Ma +
Vrel
dt
dt
dt
If there is no external force (ie gravity), then

Note R is the positive

dm
Ma =
Vrel = RVrel mass rate of fuel
dt
consumption.

RVrel is call the thrust of the rocket engine!

How does velocity change as fuel is

consumed?

dv
dM
Ma = M
=
Vrel
dt
dt

dM
dv = Vrel
M

vf
vi

dv = Vrel

M
Mi

dM
M

Mi
v f v i = Vrel ln
Mf

Mi
If in gravity and
v f v i = v 0 gt + Vrel ln
with initial velocity
Mf

Balancing the THRUST of a water hose

A firehose delivers 50kg/s at a speed of 30m/s. How many
75-kg firefighters are need to hold the hose on muddy
ground for which the coefficient of static friction is 0.35?
First, we must enough firefighters to balance the THRUST of
the hose.
dM

THRUST = Vr

dt

= (30m /s)(50kg /s) = 1500N

With their feet firmly planted on the ground, the firefighters

(suppose there are n of them provide a maximal force of
friction

F f = nsN = nsmg

If they are to remain steady

n

F f THRUST , so

THRUST
1500N
=
= 5.8
2
smg
(0.35)(75kg)(9.8m /s )

So six is sufficient

Space Shuttle
A space shuttles main engines develop a thrust of
35 x106 N as they eject gas at 2500 m/s. How
much fuel must the shuttle carry to permit a 5minute engine firing?
From the rocket equation, we find:
6

dM Thrust 35 10 N
=
=
= 14,000kg /s
dt
Vr
2500m /s
For a five minute burn, we need

(1.4 10 4 kg /s)(300s) = 4.2 10 6 kg

Space shuttles external tank contains 500,000 gallons of

super cold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen

Varying Mass
Two large barges are moving in
the same direction in still water,
one with speed 10km/hr and
the other with a speed 20km/hr.
While they are passing each
other, coal is shoveled from the
slower to the faster one at a
rate of 1000kg/min. How much
Force = Vreldm/dt
additional force must be
provided by the engines of the V dM = 10km /hr 1000kg /s
r
dt
faster barge and the slower
km 1hr
kg 1min
barge if neither is to change
= 10
1000
hr 3600s
min 60s
their speed?
= 46N For faster

Grain Hopper Problem

A hopper releases grain at a rate of dm/
dt onto a conveyer belt that moves at
constant speed v. What is the power of
the motor driving the belt?
The system is some arbitrary length of belt whose mass
we can call M. The mass of the system increases at the
same rate that the grain falls so dM/dt=dm/dt
Let Fext be the force needed to maintain constant speed
dm
because the mass is increasing.
Fext = v
dt

2 dm
The power required is
P = F v = v
dt
1 2 1 2 dm
dK
d
Note :
= mv = v
2
dt dt 2
dt

Chain Falling
A vertical chain has a length L and a mass M. It is
released with the bottom just touching a table.
a) Find the force on the table as a function of the
distance fallen by the top end.

dp dm
dv
F=
=
v+m
dt
dt
dt
If dm/dt=0, F is just mg. So if the mass was falling in one
piece, the force would still be equal to dp/dt, not dp/dt+mg.
Just before chain hits the table,

dm
M dx
M
v
=v
=v v
dt
L dt
L

Chain Falling
dp dm
dv
F=
=
v+m
dt
dt
dt

Part of chain not on table

is in free fall: 1 mv 2 = mgx

dm
M dx
M
v
=v
=v v
dt
L dt
L
dm M 2
Mgx
v
= v =2
dt
L
L
M
M
M
F = 2 gx + gx = 3 gx
L
L
L

Note Force could be

3mg if the whole
chain falls