Drop Help – Landed on pad. Now what?

 Help, spuChallenge  No Responses »
Feb 062013
 

If, in the top half of the Drop World, you successfully land on the pad (bridge), but nothing happens, it probably means that you neglected to get something. There is a billboard on the left side of the hole that provides a clue. It says: “Got Spark?”

Up in the top portion of the hole, there is an machine that will give you a spark to bring back down to the bridge. For more instruction on how to get the spark click here.

Drop Help – How much thrust?

 Help  No Responses »
Feb 062013
 

In order to make it past Belt 1, your spuCraft is going to have to descend at the same constant speed as the belt. To think through how much thrust to apply perform the following tasks.

  1. Draw a free body diagram (FBD) of the spuCraft as it is passing Belt 1. Remember that only forces pushing and/or pulling on the vehicle belong on the FBD.
  2. (This is the most important part of the problem.) Draw a mass-acceleration diagram (MAD) for the spuCraft as it is passing Belt 1. Here, I want you to think carefully. I don’t want you to draw a generic acceleration on the diagram. You should draw the acceleration of the spuCraft assuming that it is successfully completing the challenge. Think carefully about the definition of acceleration.
  3. Using the forces on your FBD, and the acceleration on your MAD, write Newton’s second law. Solve for the thrust. Here’s your answer, at least when you are passing Belt 1.
  4. Repeat the same process for Belt 2. How does it differ?

 

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