Chapter 6, Problem 26A

Calculate the acceleration of a 2000-kg, single-engine airplane as it begins its takeoff with an engine thrust of 500 N.

To determine

Theacceleration of an airplane, for a given force on its engine

Answer to Problem 26A

The acceleration of an airplane is $0.25{\text{m/s}}^2$

Explanation of Solution

Given:

A single-engine airplane of mass 2000-kg takes off by an engine thrust of 500 N on

Formula used:

Using Newton’s second law of motion, a body experiencing a force F gets accelerated in the direction of the force and its magnitude a is proportional to magnitude of the applied force. It also holds an inverse relation with the mass of the body m . This can be expressed as,

  $F=ma$

For a given force and mass of the object, the acceleration can be calculated as,

  $a=\frac{F}{m}$

Calculation Here, mass of the airplane is 2000-kg and force experienced by the engine is 500 N. Since it is just before take-off, the effect of gravity is not considered.

Substituting the parameters in the expression for acceleration, its value can be obtained as,

  $\begin{array}{c}a=\frac{500}{2000}\\ =\text{0}{\text{.25 m/s}}^2\end{array}$

Conclusion :

The acceleration of the airplane for a given thrust is $\text{0}{\text{.25 m/s}}^2$ .