An F-18 with a weight of 22500 lb lands on a carrier with a speed of 120mph. If the run-out of the arresting cable is 160ft, what is the plane's acceleration in feet per second squared?
To find the plane's acceleration in feet per second squared, we need to use the formula for acceleration:
acceleration = change in velocity / time
In this case, the change in velocity is the difference between the initial velocity (120 mph) and the final velocity (0 mph, since the plane comes to a stop), and the time is the distance traveled divided by the final velocity.
First, let's convert the initial velocity from mph to feet per second. We know that 1 mile is equal to 5,280 feet and 1 hour is equal to 3,600 seconds.
Initial velocity (in feet per second) = 120 mph * (5280 feet / 1 mile) * (1 hour / 3600 seconds)
Initial velocity = 176 feet per second
Next, we need to calculate the time it takes for the plane to slow down to 0 mph. We can use the formula:
time = distance / velocity
In this case, the distance is given as 160 feet, and the final velocity is 0 feet per second.
Time = 160 feet / 0 feet per second
Note: Division by zero is undefined, so the plane is assumed to come to a stop in zero time.
Therefore, in this scenario, the plane decelerates instantaneously, and we cannot calculate the acceleration using the formula provided.