2001 Paper 2 Q11

Year: 2001
Paper: 2
Question Number: 11

Course: LFM Pure and Mechanics
Section: Projectiles

Difficulty: 1600.0 Banger: 1484.0

Problem

A two-stage missile is projected from a point \(A\) on the ground with horizontal and vertical velocity components \(u\) and \(v\), respectively. When it reaches the highest point of its trajectory an internal explosion causes it to break up into two fragments. Immediately after this explosion one of these fragments, \(P\), begins to move vertically upwards with speed \(v_e\), but retains the previous horizontal velocity. Show that \(P\) will hit the ground at a distance \(R\) from \(A\) given by $$ \frac{gR}u = v+v_e + \sqrt{v_e^2 +v^2}\, . $$ It is required that the range \(R\) should be greater than a certain distance \(D\) (where \(D> 2uv/g\)). Show that this requirement is satisfied if \[ v_e> \frac{gD}{2u}\left( \frac{gD-2uv}{gD-uv}\right). \] \noindent[{\sl The effect of air resistance is to be neglected.}]

No solution available for this problem.

Rating Information

Difficulty Rating: 1600.0

Difficulty Comparisons: 0

Banger Rating: 1484.0

Banger Comparisons: 1

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Problem source
A two-stage missile is projected from a point $A$
on the ground with horizontal and vertical velocity components
$u$ and $v$, respectively. When it reaches the highest point of
its trajectory an internal explosion causes it to break up into 
two fragments. Immediately after this explosion one of these 
fragments, $P$, begins to move vertically upwards with speed
$v_e$, but retains the  previous horizontal velocity. Show that
$P$ will hit the ground at a distance $R$ from $A$ given by 
$$
\frac{gR}u = v+v_e + \sqrt{v_e^2 +v^2}\, .
$$
It is required that the range $R$ should be greater than
a certain distance $D$ (where $D> 2uv/g$). Show that this requirement is satisfied
if 
\[
v_e> \frac{gD}{2u}\left( \frac{gD-2uv}{gD-uv}\right).
\] 
\noindent[{\sl The effect of air resistance is to  be neglected.}]