Question

An airplane accelerates down a runway at 5.20 m/s2 for 32.8 s until it finally lifts off the ground. Determine the distance traveled before takeoff.

Answer 1

To determine the distance traveled before takeoff, we can use the kinematic equation:

d = vi * t + 0.5 * a * t^2

where:
d = distance traveled
vi = initial velocity (0 m/s since the airplane starts from rest)
a = acceleration (5.20 m/s2)
t = time (32.8 s)

Plugging in the values:
d = 0 * 32.8 + 0.5 * 5.20 * (32.8)^2
d = 0 + 0.5 * 5.20 * 1075.84
d = 0 + 0.5 * 5600.768
d = 2800.384

Therefore, the distance traveled before takeoff is 2800.384 meters.