Ask Question
19 February, 04:48

While attempting a landing on the moon, astronauts had to change their landing site and land at a spot that was 4 kilometers away from the original site. Assuming that they were at a height of 137 meters, calculate the horizontal velocity of the spacecraft during touchdown if it lands in a free-fall mode without using retro engines. Consider gravity = 1.63 meters/second2.

+5
Answers (1)
  1. 19 February, 05:17
    0
    Refer to the figure below.

    A = original landing site.

    B = alternate landing site.

    Assume that aerodynamic resistance is negligible.

    The craft lands in free-fall mode, therefore its original vertical velocity is zero.

    It travels downward by 137 m at gravitational acceleration of g = 1.63 m/s².

    The time of travel, t, obeys the equation

    (137 m) = (1/2) (1.63 m/s²) * (t s) ²

    Therefore

    t² = (137*2) / 1.63 = 168.098 = > t = 12.965 s.

    The constant horizontal velocity, u, required to travel 4 km (or 4000 m) in time, t, is given by

    (u m/s) * (12.965 s) = (4000 m)

    u = 4000/12.965 = 308.5 m/s (nearest tenth)

    Answer: 308.5 m/s
Know the Answer?
Not Sure About the Answer?
Find an answer to your question 👍 “While attempting a landing on the moon, astronauts had to change their landing site and land at a spot that was 4 kilometers away from the ...” in 📗 Physics if the answers seem to be not correct or there’s no answer. Try a smart search to find answers to similar questions.
Search for Other Answers