Reference no: EM132513226

Students conduct an experiment to study the motion of two toy rockets. In the first, experiment rocket X of mass m is launched vertically upward with an initial speed v0 at time t=0. The rocket continues upward until it reaches its maximum height at time t1. As the rocket travels upward, frictional forces are considered to be negligible. The rocket then descends vertically downward until it reaches the ground at time t2. In a second experiment, which has not yet been conducted by the students, rocket Y of mass M, where M>m, will be launched vertically upward with a initial speed v0 at time t=0 until it reaches its maximum height. Rocket Y will then descend vertically downward until it reaches the ground. Two student in the group make predictions about the motion of rocket Y compared to that of rocket X. Their arguments are as follows: Student 1: "Rocket Y will have a smaller maximum vertical displacement than rocket X, although it is launched upward with the same speed as rocket X and has more kinetic energy than rocket X. Because rocket Y will have smaller maximum vertical displacement than rocket X, I predict that it will take less time for rocket Y to reach the ground compared with rocket X."

Student 2: "Rocket Y will have the same maximum vertical displacement as rocket X because both rockets have the same kinetic energy. Since both rockets will have the same maximum vertical displacement, I predict that it will take both rockets the same amount of time to reach the ground."

(a) For part (a), ignore whether the students' predictions are correct or incorrect. Do not simply repeat the students' arguments as your answers.

i. Which aspects of Student 1's reasoning, if any, are correct? Explain your answer.

ii. Which aspects of Student 1's reasoning, if any, are incorrect? Explain your answer.

iii. Which aspects of Student 2's reasoning, if any, are correct? Explain your answer?

iv. Which aspects of Student 2's reasoning, if any, are incorrect? Explain your answer.