Scientists are developing a hypersonic aeroplane that will travel much faster than normal aeroplanes - AQA - GCSE Physics Combined Science - Question 6 - 2021 - Paper 2

First, we determine the change in speed ($\Delta v$):

$\Delta v = (25.5 - 5.5) \times 330 = 6600 \, \text{m/s}$

Next, we calculate the acceleration ($a$):

$a = \frac{(25.5 \times 330) - (5.5 \times 330)}{300} = \frac{6600}{300} = 22 \, \text{m/s}^2$

Using the resultant force ($F = 630000 \, \text{N}$) and calculated acceleration, we find the mass ($m$):

$F = m \times a$

Rearranging gives:

$m = \frac{F}{a} = \frac{630000}{22} \approx 28636.36 \, \text{kg}$

Thus, the mass of the hypersonic aeroplane to 2 significant figures is:

$m \approx 29000 \, \text{kg}$