A spacecraft unloads cargo on the surface of the Moon - Scottish Highers Physics - Question 3 - 2022
Question 3
A spacecraft unloads cargo on the surface of the Moon.
The gravitational field strength on the Moon is 1.6 N kg⁻¹.
A package of mass 3.0 kg moves down the ramp.
The... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A spacecraft unloads cargo on the surface of the Moon - Scottish Highers Physics - Question 3 - 2022
Step 1
Calculate the weight of the package
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Answer
The weight of an object can be calculated using the formula:
W=mimesg
where:
W is the weight,
m is the mass of the object, and
g is the gravitational field strength.
Substituting the given values:
W=3.0extkgimes1.6extNkg−1=4.8extN
Step 2
Determine the component of weight acting parallel to the ramp
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Answer
To find the component of the weight acting parallel to the ramp, we use the angle of the ramp:
Wparallel=Wimesextsin(heta)
Here, W is 4.8 N and θ is 34°.
Calculating this:
Wparallel=4.8extNimesextsin(34°)
Using a calculator,
extsin(34°)≈0.559
Thus,
Wparallel≈4.8extN×0.559≈2.68extN
Rounding this value gives approximately 2.7 N.
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