Chapter 9, Problem 29P

You have been hired as an expert witness in an investigation of a quadcopter drone incident. The incident occurred during a very rare meteor shower during which several unusually massive chunks of meteoric material were passing through the atmosphere and striking the ground. The unmanned drone was hovering at rest over the center of a house on fire, having just dropped fire retardant, when it seemed to spontaneously explode into four large pieces. The locations of the four pieces on the ground were measured as follows, relative to the center of the house over which the drone was hovering:

The fire department is suggesting that the drone was defective and exploded while in use. The drone manufacturer is suggesting that the drone was struck by a meteorite, causing the explosion. Perform a calculation that will show evidence suggesting agreement with one of these positions.