In 1865, Jules Verne suggested sending people to the Moon by launching a space capsule with a 228.8 m long cannon. The final speed of the capsule must reach 11.39 km/s. What acceleration would the passengers experience?

To determine the acceleration experienced by the passengers in the space capsule, we need to use the kinematic equation:

v^2 = u^2 + 2aS

Where:
- v is the final velocity (11.39 km/s or 11,390 m/s)
- u is the initial velocity (0 m/s, as the capsule starts at rest)
- a is the acceleration (what we need to find)
- S is the distance traveled along the barrel of the cannon (228.8 m)

Rearranging the equation, we have:

2aS = v^2 - u^2

Now, we substitute the values:

2a(228.8) = (11390)^2 - (0)^2

Simplifying, we get:

457.6a = 129984100 - 0

Now, divide both sides by 457.6:

a = (129984100) / 457.6

Calculating this, we find that the acceleration experienced by the passengers is approximately 283,785.9 m/s^2 or 283.8 km/s^2.