A quadcopter with mass is flying due east at a constant speed of

PHYSICS · Multi-part · CBSE · Physics · Laws of Motion · Laws of Motion

Problem

A quadcopter with mass

2.0\,\text{kg}

is flying due east at a constant speed of

5.0\,\text{m\,s}^{-1}

. At time

t=0\,\text{s}

the pilot increases the collective thrust so that, for the next

3.0\,\text{s}

, the craft experiences a constant upward acceleration of

2.5\,\text{m\,s}^{-2}

. During this interval the rotors are oriented so that the thrust they produce is directed purely upward; any effects of air resistance on the quadcopter are negligible. (a) Draw and label a free-body diagram for the quadcopter during the

3.0\,\text{s}

interval. (b) Determine the magnitude and direction of the net force acting on the quadcopter during the interval. (c) Calculate the magnitude of the thrust force produced by the rotors during the interval. (d) Determine the vertical component of the quadcopter’s velocity at

t = 3.0\,\text{s}

. (Assume the vertical component of velocity is zero at

t=0\,\text{s}

.) (e) Explain, in terms of Newton’s first law, why the horizontal component of the quadcopter’s velocity remains

5.0\,\text{m\,s}^{-1}

during the interval even though a net force acts on the craft.

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