A rocket is continuously firing its engines as it accelerates away from Earth. For the first kilometer of its ascent, the mass o

Question

17 days ago

10

A rocket is continuously firing its engines as it accelerates away from Earth. For the first kilometer of its ascent, the mass o

f fuel ejected is small compared to the mass of the rocket. For this distance, which of the following indicates the changes, if any, in the kinetic energy of the rocket, the gravitational potential energy of the Earth-rocket system, and the mechanical energy of the Earth-rocket system?
1. KE Increases, PE Increases, ME Increases
2. KE Increases, PE Increases, ME Constant
3. KE Increases, PE Decreases, ME Decreases
4. KE Decreases, PE Increases, ME Constant

Physics

2 answers:

Keith_Richards [2.2K] · Answer 1 · 2026-03-08T09:15:05+03:00

Answer:

1. KE Increases, PE Increases, ME Increases.

Explanation:

As the rocket accelerates upward while firing its engines, it leads to an increase in the mechanical energy of the Earth-rocket system, which includes both kinetic and potential energies.

As the mass diminishes, the kinetic energy decreases if all else remains consistent.

Moreover, as the rocket ascends away from Earth, its gravitational potential energy increases.

kicyunya [2.2K] · Answer 2 · 2026-03-08T09:15:09+03:00

Answer:

The correct response is:

1. KE Increases, PE Increases, ME Increases.

Explanation:

In this context, kinetic energy refers to the energy associated with an object's motion. Kinetic energy can be defined as the energy required to accelerate a mass from rest to a specified velocity, which it maintains once that speed is reached:

KE = 1/2 mv².

This definition indicates that KE is on the rise.

Potential energy is the energy stored in a body due to its position in a gravitational field:

PE = mgh,

which increases as the object is elevated against gravitational pull.

Since both kinetic and potential energies are increasing, it follows that the total mechanical energy (ME) is also rising:

ME = PE + KE.