Homework 6K: Space MathName:
- Answer threeof the following four questions using complete sentences. If you need more room, please attach a sheet of notebook paper.
- When Katherine first appears in her new workroom after leaving West Computing, she is mistaken for the custodian.
a)What information does this brief but significant incident convey?
b)How is she treated by her male co-workers? Describe at least 2 other incidents that justify your answer.
- A major change at NASA occurs when the space agency purchases an IBM computer.
a)How does this computer compare with a typical computer today?
b)What difficulties do the engineers have installing the computer and making it operational?
c)How does Dorothy learn enough to be able to operate the computer?
d)How does Dorothy help her colleagues succeed after the IBM computer is installed?
- When one of the engineers suggests that Mary might want to be certified as an engineer, she learns that she must take night courses held at the white high school in order to do so.
a)Why does Mary have to go to court to be admitted to her classes?
b)How does she present her case to the judge? Why does he decide in her favor?
c)How do her classmates and teacher react to her entrance?
- At the beginning of the film, Katherine appears in a flashback at school; she is several years younger than her classmates and is asked to demonstrate the answer to a math question at the chalkboard.
a)How did her parents and teachers support her continuing education?
b)When does the image of the chalkboard reappear in the film?
c)Why do you think the filmmaker chose to repeat it?
- Saturn V Rocket launch Speed vs Time
In the same way that speed = distance divided by time, we can also look at acceleration as the change in speed over the time that the change occurred. Both of these quantities can be thought of as rates of change or “slopes” on a graph.
When the final speed is larger than the initial speed, the slope of the line is positive and we say that the object is accelerating. When the final speed is less than the initial speed, the slope is negative and we say that the object is decelerating.
The table to the left shows the speed of the Saturn V rocket during a launch from the Kennedy Space Center on July 16, 1969 at 9:32 a.m.
a)What was the average acceleration for the Saturn V rocket during its first 20 seconds of constant thrust?SHOW WORK
b) How far did it travel during this time?SHOW WORK
C) Graph time(x-axis) versus speed (y-axis) on a sheet of graph paper.
- Gravity and Escape Speed
It would be nice if we could just jump real hard and we would suddenly be in space orbiting Earth. It is not that easy as any Olympic high jumper will tell you.
Because of the pull of gravity, every planet, asteroid, or other object in the universe has its own speed limit. If you move slower than this speed you will stay on the body. If you move faster than this speed you will escape into space. Scientists call this the escape speed or escape velocity.
It is not just a number you guess. It depends exactly on how much mass the planet or moon has, and how far from its center you are located. That means you can predict what this speed will be as you travel to other planets. That’s very handy if you are an astronaut!
For earth, the escape speed V in kilometers/second at a distance R from Earth’s center in kilometers, is given by
V =
Solve the following problems. You may use a calculator for this section, but show the equation and substitution.
1)What is the escape speed for a rocket located on Earth’s surface where R = 6378 km?
2)An engineer proposes to launch a rocket from the top of Mt. Everest (altitude 8.9 km) because its summit is farther from the center of Earth. Is this a good plan? Why or why not?
3)A space craft is in a parking orbit around Earth at an altitude of 35,786 km. What is the escape speed form this location?