Study the scenario.

As a spacecraft moves beyond Pluto, its thrusters are turned on for a short time to boost its speed to approximately 32,500 mi/h. The thrusters are then turned off.

If no other forces ever act on the spacecraft what will it do?

it will continue moving in the same direction, but it will speed up because there are no forces to slow it down

it will continue moving at 32,500 mi/h the same direction because forces are not required for an object to continue its motion

it will stop immediately because a force is needed constantly for it to move at all

it will continue moving in the same direction, but it will gradually slow down because a force is needed to maintain its speed.

Question

Physics

Santiago Rivers

Today, 02:14

Study the scenario.

As a spacecraft moves beyond Pluto, its thrusters are turned on for a short time to boost its speed to approximately 32,500 mi/h. The thrusters are then turned off.

If no other forces ever act on the spacecraft what will it do?

it will continue moving in the same direction, but it will speed up because there are no forces to slow it down

it will continue moving at 32,500 mi/h the same direction because forces are not required for an object to continue its motion

it will stop immediately because a force is needed constantly for it to move at all

it will continue moving in the same direction, but it will gradually slow down because a force is needed to maintain its speed.

+5

Answers (2)

Know the Answer?

Donna Savage · Answer 1

If no other forces act on the object, according to Newton's first law, the spacecraft will continue moving at a constant velocity, assuming that a planet or something with large mass doesn't cross its path. Forces are not required to continue the motion of an object on a frictionless plane at a constant rate.

Barrett Brock · Answer 2

If no other forces ever act on the spacecraft, it will continue moving at 32,500 mi/h in the same direction, because forces are not required for an object to continue its motion.

The spacecraft will eventually curve away from a straight line, and its speed will change, as it comes within the gravitational influence of one or more of the objects out there in the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud.