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A 2500-kg unmanned space probe is moving in a straight line at a constant speed of 300 m/s. A rocket engine on the space probe executes a burn in which a thrust of 3000 N acts for 65.0 s. What is the change in momentum (magnitude only) of the probe if the thrust is backward, forward, or sideways? Assume that the mass of the ejected fuel is negligible compared to the mass of the space probe.

A 2500-kg unmanned space probe is moving in a straight line at a constant speed of 300 m/s. A rocket engine on the space probe executes a burn in which a thrust of 3000 N acts for 65.0 s. What is the change in momentum (magnitude only) of the probe if the thrust is backward, forward, or sideways? Assume that the mass of the ejected fuel is negligible compared to the mass of the space probe.

Grade:upto college level

1 Answers

Deepak Patra
askIITians Faculty 471 Points
8 years ago
To find out the change in momentum of the probe, substitute 3000 N for the net force F and 65.0 s for the time interval Δt in the equation Δp = F Δt,
Δp = F Δt
= (3000 N) (65.0 s)
=1.95 × 105 N. s …… (3)
From equation (3) we observed that, change in momentum of the probe would be 1.95×105 N. s.
The direction of thrust respect to the velocity will not matter for this problem. Therefore the change in momentum of the probe is equal in the every case for the thrust is backward, forward and sideways.

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