MEDAL!!!

A rocket fired from its launching pad not only picks up speed, but its acceleration also increases significantly as firing continues. Why is this so? (Hint: about 90% of the mass of a newly launched rocket is fuel.)

Question

MEDAL!!!



A rocket fired from its launching pad not only picks up speed, but its acceleration also increases significantly as firing continues. Why is this so? (Hint: about 90% of the mass of a newly launched rocket is fuel.)

calculusxy · Answer

@Mertsj

calculusxy · Answer

@triciaal

solomonzelman · Answer

well, very simply.

The fuel is also adding some weight. The more rocket flys the less fuel (and therefore the less weight) there is. (Especially, when flying straight up at start it loses not only fuel, but the (pretty much) entire bottom.)

solomonzelman · Answer

So the fuel goes out a lot, but not even that. The bottom big peace of the rocket goes off

have you seen a rocket before flight and after it has flown apart from the ground

calculusxy · Answer

I have seen a rocket go but I was not that observant.

solomonzelman · Answer

After the rocket has gone up, it is really not even a rocket.
It is more like a mini rocket after it dropped a big peace at the rise......

They want you to say it is fuel, but I wouldn't focus on fuel as much as on that big falling off piece.

solomonzelman · Answer

not that I am any relevant to rockets personally, but my grandpa is an engineeer.

solomonzelman · Answer

good luck.

calculusxy · Answer

How would I relate it to the acceleration?

solomonzelman · Answer

Oh, the acceleration is more related to fuel (rather than this big falling off peace)....

As fuel is falling out more and more, the more it flies the more the speed increases (due to the fact that the weight it carries decreases).

This increase in speed is acceleration.

calculusxy · Answer

thank you :)

solomonzelman · Answer

What i like better though is to deal with position functions, velocity and acceleration (that are generated at any point x=a, based on the position function).
(this is through differentiation)

solomonzelman · Answer

Speed tells us how fast the rocket is moving, so speed is the slope of the position of the rocket.

Acceleration tells us how fast the speed is increase/decreasing, so acceleration is the slope of speed.

(if you will)

won't overwhelm..... yw

solomonzelman · Answer

don't worry about my 2 l;ast posts.

calculusxy · Answer

no problem :)

solomonzelman · Answer

cu