Question

before liftoff, one of a space shuttles solid rocket boosters contained 458,000 kilograms (kg) of propellant. exactly 6 seconds after liftoff, 427,994 kg of this propellant remained. on average, approximately how much propellant, in kg, did this solid rocket booster burn each second after liftoff?
a 5,001
b 30,006
c 71,332
d 147,666

Explanation:

Step1: Find the total propellant burned

To find the total propellant burned, subtract the remaining propellant from the initial propellant. The initial propellant is \( 458,000 \) kg and the remaining is \( 427,994 \) kg. So, the total burned is \( 458000 - 427994 = 30006 \) kg.

Step2: Calculate the average burn per second

To find the average burn per second, divide the total burned propellant by the time in seconds (6 seconds). So, we calculate \( \frac{30006}{6} \approx 5001 \) (since we can approximate \( 30006\div6 = 5001 \)).

Answer:

A. 5,001