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Height of a Zero Gravity

Parabolic Flight                       

   Background Information: 

Have you ever wondered what it might feel like to oat weightless in space? One way to
try it out is to y on a special aircraft that astronauts use to train for their trips to space.
Both NASA and the Russian Space Agency have been ying these for years. The way it is
done is to y to a high altitude, drop down to gain speed, then start a large parabolic
path up in the sky. For a time ranging from 10 to 20 seconds, along the top part of the
parabolic ight, an environment simulating zero gravity is created within the plane. This
e ect can cause some nausea in the participants, giving rise to the name "Vomit
Comet", the plane used by NASA for zero-G parabolic training ights. Currently there is
also a private company that will sell you a zero-G ride, though it is a bit expensive.

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The Problem

This lab will have you develop a mathematical model for the parabolic path.

In P artI you will nd the system of equations needed to nd the values to create the
model. Using three given data points that describe the altitude (the height in feet) of
the plane at a given time (in seconds), you will determine a 3X3 system of linear
equations. You will also write the system as an augmented matrix.

In P artI I you will nd the solution of the system of equations which gives you the
coe cients, a, b, and c that you will use for the quadratic model of the ight:

 h(t)  
2
= at + bt + c

You will also use your model to nd the time that the maximum height of the plane is
reached and the maximum height itself.

In P artI I I  you will visualize the model by plotting the function on an appropriately
scaled set of axes.

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 P artI  

The Data: Here are three times and the measured height of the plane at those times.

Time (t) in Height (h) in

seconds feet

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2 23943
20 32223
40 33823

To nd the coe cients for your model, plug the data into the equation:

 h  
2
= at + bt + c

The data points are just like x and y values, where the x value is the time t in seconds and
the y value is the altitude h in feet. Plug these into the model to get three linear equations
with variables a , b ,and c .

Data Values Enter the resulting equation  

 (2, 23943)  23943 = a ( 2 ) 2 + b ( 2 ) + c   

(20, 32223)
32223 = a ( 20 ) 2 + b ( 20 ) + c  
 
(40, 33823)
33823 = a ( 40 ) 2 + b ( 40 ) + c  
 

Now that you have your system of 3 equations with 3 unknowns, you will have to solve it. For
this lab, you can solve the system using any method you prefer. However, working with
augmented matrices is undoubtedly an e cient way to solve systems of equations. So, you
should at least practice setting up the corresponding augmented matrix for your system.
Let's do that here:

Fill in the augmented matrix for your system.

    4     2     1         23943    

    400     20     1         32223    

    1600     40     1         33823    

You will now need to solve the system to nd a , b , and c . Go to the next question to submit
those values.

Question 2 7/7 pts 95-99

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Height of a Zero Gravity

            Parabolic Flight, Part II                       

In P artI you found a 3x3 system of equations using data from the ight. The solution to that
system can now be used to create the quadratic model that gives the height of the plane as a
function of time.

a) Enter the solutions to your system here:

 
a = -10

b = 680

c = 22623

b) Use your solutions to form the quadratic model of the ight:

h(t) = −10t2 + 680t + 22623  

c) Use h(t) to nd the time when the plane reaches its maximum height. Round your answer
to one decimal place, if necessary:

t max = 34 seconds

d) Use h(t) and t max to nd the maximum height the plane reaches. Round your answer to
the nearest foot.

h max = 34183 feet

e) The time and the maximum height correspond to what point on the graph of h(t)? Fill in
the answer below.

(t max , h max ) is the vertex of the parabola.

Take note of your answers to parts c) and d) as you will need them in P artI I I to graph h(t).

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Question 3 5/5 pts 98-99

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Height of Zero Gravity

Parabolic Flight, Part III
In P artI I of this lab, you found the quadratic function, h(t), that models the parabolic ight
used to acheive "zero-G".

a) Let's con rm you have the correct function. Enter it below.

h(t) = −10t2 + 680t + 22623  

b) Let's con rm you found the correct coordinates for the vertex. Enter them below.

Vertex: ( 34 , 34183 )

You are almost ready to graph your quadratic model. To use the graphing feature, you will
start by plotting the vertex and then one other point. The easiest other point to use is the h-
intercept (this is just like a y-intercept but your vertical axis in this model is the height, thus it
is an h-axis).

c) To nd the h-intercept, you just need to evaluate your function at t = 0 . Do that here:

h(0) = 22623

d) You are ready to graph your quadratic model: h(t) . It would be tricky to
2
= at + bt + c

get the vertex and h-intercept in exactly the right place. As long as you get it close, the
program should accept your answer. Give it a try.

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Question 4 13/13 pts 99

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