A test ballistic missile, having a mass of 500 kg, is launched straight up into the air from the Earth’s surface with an initial velocity of 0.6 km/s. The missile reaches some height, stops, and then descends back to Earth (without a parachute). a) What were the missile’s initial kinetic energy, potential energy, and total mechanical energy at the exact time of its launch (all in units of joules)? b) What were the missile’s kinetic energy, potential energy, and total mechanical energy when it reached its greatest height (all in units of joules)? Ignore the effects of air resistance. c) How high did the missile climb before it began to descend (in metres AND feet)? Ignore the effects of air resistance. d) How long does the missile take to drop from its highest height back to the ground (in seconds)?
A test ballistic missile, having a mass of 500 kg, is launched straight up into the air from the Earth’s surface with an initial velocity of 0.6 km/s. The missile reaches some height, stops, and then descends back to Earth (without a parachute).
a) What were the missile’s initial kinetic energy, potential energy, and total mechanical energy at the exact time of its launch (all in units of joules)?
b) What were the missile’s kinetic energy, potential energy, and total mechanical energy when it reached its greatest height (all in units of joules)? Ignore the effects of air resistance.
c) How high did the missile climb before it began to descend (in metres AND feet)? Ignore the effects of air resistance.
d) How long does the missile take to drop from its highest height back to the ground (in seconds)?
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