- #1
Enthu
- 11
- 0
I started taking MIT's online physics course a couple of days ago, and since I have no physics background at all, I'm getting a bit confused with dimensional analysis.
I'm trying to find a formula for the terminal velocity of a rocket, using air density ρ, gravity g, area of rocket affected by air A, mass m and the drag coefficient Cd. I have reached the following equation of dimensional analysis:
LT-1 = [M]V[itex]\cdot[/itex][LT-2]W[itex]\cdot[/itex][ML-3]X[itex]\cdot[/itex][L2]Y
I'm pretty sure that is completely wrong. I tried solving for the coefficients and ended up with V = 1 X = 1/2 W = 1 Y = 1/2, and I'm certain that is wrong as well.
Can somebody help me with this? I just can't seem to get a correct formula.
Also, as far as I understood it, from the equation above it is implied that mass should have no effect, but the actual formula for the terminal velocity of a rocket does have mass in it.
--this isn't a homework/coursework question, I'm doing this out of my own curiosity--
I'm trying to find a formula for the terminal velocity of a rocket, using air density ρ, gravity g, area of rocket affected by air A, mass m and the drag coefficient Cd. I have reached the following equation of dimensional analysis:
LT-1 = [M]V[itex]\cdot[/itex][LT-2]W[itex]\cdot[/itex][ML-3]X[itex]\cdot[/itex][L2]Y
I'm pretty sure that is completely wrong. I tried solving for the coefficients and ended up with V = 1 X = 1/2 W = 1 Y = 1/2, and I'm certain that is wrong as well.
Can somebody help me with this? I just can't seem to get a correct formula.
Also, as far as I understood it, from the equation above it is implied that mass should have no effect, but the actual formula for the terminal velocity of a rocket does have mass in it.
--this isn't a homework/coursework question, I'm doing this out of my own curiosity--