The spacecraft shown below weighs 6.1 million pounds. The rocket produces 7.5 million pounds of thrust.
When the spacecraft falls back to earth, a parachute helps it fall safely. Explain the forces acting during this landing.
Responses
The parachute’s downward force resists gravity’s downward force.
The parachute’s downward force resists gravity’s upward force.
The parachute’s upward force resists gravity’s upward force.
The parachute’s upward force resists gravity’s downward force.
The correct response is: The parachute’s downward force resists gravity’s downward force.
The parachute's upward force resists gravity's downward force.
The correct response is: The parachute's upward force resists gravity's downward force.
To explain this, we need to understand the forces involved during the landing of a spacecraft with a parachute. Firstly, we have the force of gravity acting downwards, which is responsible for pulling the spacecraft towards the Earth's surface. This force is equal to the weight of the spacecraft, which in this case is 6.1 millions pounds.
When the parachute is deployed, it creates a large surface area that interacts with the air molecules in the atmosphere. As the spacecraft descends, the air molecules collide with the parachute and exert a force on it, known as air resistance or drag force. This force acts upwards and opposes the downward force of gravity.
The parachute, due to its size and shape, generates a significant upward force caused by the air resistance. The magnitude of this upward force increases as the spacecraft accelerates downwards. At some point, the upward force of the parachute becomes equal to the downward force of gravity, resulting in a new equilibrium. This is when the spacecraft reaches its terminal velocity, the maximum speed it can reach during the descent.
At terminal velocity, the parachute's upward force perfectly counteracts the force of gravity, resulting in a balanced situation where the spacecraft descends steadily without accelerating further. It is important to note that the parachute's upward force doesn't completely cancel out gravity but rather counteracts it, allowing for a controlled and safer landing of the spacecraft.
Therefore, the correct answer is "The parachute’s upward force resists gravity’s downward force."