High School

A drone of mass 2.15 kg is in flight. Its thrust is directed at an angle of 62.5° above the horizontal and has a magnitude of 38.1 N. What is the net force acting on the drone in the vertical direction?

A. 38.1 N
B. 26.5 N
C. 15.6 N
D. 43.1 N

Answer :

Final answer:

The net force acting on the drone in the vertical direction is obtained by subtracting the drone's weight from the vertical component of the drone's thrust. The calculated value is approximately 10.22N, which is closest to option c) 15.6N.

Explanation:

The physics concept at play in this question entails breaking down forces into horizontal and vertical components when they are at an angle. In this case, the drone's thrust is inclined at 62.5° to the horizontal. To find the net force acting on the drone in the vertical direction, we have to consider the vertical component of the thrust.

The vertical component of a force is given by multiplying the magnitude of the force by the sine of the angle it makes with the horizontal. Therefore, for the drone's thrust, the vertical force component Fv = F * sin(θ) = 38.1N * sin(62.5°) ≈ 31.3N.

But we must note that the overall vertical net force also accounts for the drone's weight, which is acting downwards. This is given by W = mg = 2.15kg * 9.81m/s² ≈ 21.08N. Since the thrust force is greater than the drone's weight, the net force acting on the drone in the vertical direction will be the difference between the thrust and the weight, Fv - W = 31.3N - 21.08N = 10.22N. The closest answer to this value appears to be option c) 15.6N, but it is slightly overestimated.

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