Question

the sts rocket is now in low earth orbit (it is in space, but close to earth). at this stage, its rl10c - 3 engines apply a net force of 433,200 n. this causes it to accelerate at 4.36 m/s². what is the mass of the rocket at this stage?

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Newton's Second Law

Newton's second law states that \( F = ma \), where \( F \) is the net force, \( m \) is the mass, and \( a \) is the acceleration. We need to solve for \( m \), so we rearrange the formula to \( m=\frac{F}{a} \).

Step2: Substitute the given values

We are given \( F = 433200\ N \) and \( a = 4.56\ m/s^2 \). Substituting these into the formula, we get \( m=\frac{433200}{4.56} \).

Step3: Calculate the mass

Performing the division: \( \frac{433200}{4.56}=95000\ kg \) (after dividing 433200 by 4.56).

Answer:

The mass of the rocket is \( 95000\ kg \) (or \( 9.5\times10^{4}\ kg \)).