A rocket of 500 kg accelerates away from earth with an engine thrust of 13,500 N.

a) what is the weight of the rocket? 4900 N
b) how fast did the rocket accelerate?
(I know the answer is 17.2 m/s^2 but how did they get that?)

a. Wr = m * g = 500kg * 9.8N/kg = 4900 N.

b. a=Fn/m = (13500-4900)/500=17.2 m/s^2

To find the acceleration of the rocket, we need to use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration.

Let's calculate the acceleration of the rocket using the given information:

Step 1: Convert the mass of the rocket to kilograms.
The weight of an object is equal to its mass multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity. We are given that the weight of the rocket is 4900 N, so we can calculate its mass using the formula:

Weight = mass * acceleration due to gravity

Rearranging the formula, we have:

Mass = Weight / acceleration due to gravity

Given that the weight of the rocket is 4900 N and the acceleration due to gravity is approximately 9.8 m/s^2, we can determine the mass:

Mass = 4900 N / 9.8 m/s^2

Mass = 500 kg

Step 2: Use Newton's second law to find the acceleration.
According to Newton's second law, the force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration:

Force = mass * acceleration

In this case, the force acting on the rocket is the engine thrust, which is 13,500 N. We can rearrange the formula to solve for acceleration:

Acceleration = Force / mass

Acceleration = 13,500 N / 500 kg

Acceleration ≈ 27 m/s^2

Therefore, the rocket accelerates at approximately 27 m/s^2.

To find the acceleration of the rocket, we need to use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the force acting on an object is equal to the product of its mass and acceleration.

a) The weight of an object is the force of gravity acting on it. On Earth, the weight of an object can be calculated using the formula weight = mass * gravity. In this case, the mass of the rocket is given as 500 kg. The acceleration due to gravity on Earth is approximately 9.8 m/s^2. Thus, the weight of the rocket is calculated as weight = 500 kg * 9.8 m/s^2 = 4900 N.

b) Given that the engine thrust is 13,500 N, we can use Newton's second law to find the acceleration. The formula is F = m * a, where F is the force, m is the mass, and a is the acceleration. Rearranging the formula to solve for acceleration, we get a = F / m. Plugging in the values, a = 13,500 N / 500 kg = 27 m/s^2.

However, it seems there may be an error in the provided answer of 17.2 m/s^2. By using the given values, the correct acceleration should be approximately 27 m/s^2.