Early test flights for the space shuttle used a "glider" (mass of 940 kg including pilot). After a horizontal launch at 450 km/h at a height of 3900 mm , the glider eventually landed at a speed of 230 km/h.
A) What would its landing speed have been in the absence of air resistance?
B) What was the average force of air resistance exerted on it if it came in at a constant glide angle of 14 degrees to the Earth's surface?
a)
Using conservation of energy in the absence of air resistance,
increase in kinetic energy of the glider = decrease in potential energy of the glider
b)
By work energy theorem,
Work done by gravity + Work done by air resistance = Change in kinetic energy
This implies displacement is opposite in direction to the air resistance force.
If the air resistance is acting at a glide angle ,
Early test flights for the space shuttle used a "glider" (mass of 940 kg including pilot)....