Newton


SoMangHills
Galileo


Mechanics

Chapter 5

Vertical and Horizontal Motion in a Model of Earth's Atmosphere

The previous chapter introduced one-dimensional motion, vertical, in an environment wherein both the acceleration of gravity and atmosphere density were constant values.

In this chapter motion may have two dimensions, vertical and horizontal, and takes place in a spreadsheet model of the density of Earth's atmosphere wherein both density and gravitational acceleration depend upon altitude.

The spreadsheet is described and made available as a download. A corresponding web based calculator, "2D Calculator", is introduced
.

The calculator, available in chapter 6 and on the upper row of tabs, is then employed to model the high altitude balloon descent of Captain Joseph Kittinger.

The topics of this chapter can be accessed by clicking their names.

Topic Name An Image from the Topic Brief Description
Influences on Motion in Earth's Atmosphere Quadratic Law

Buoyancy

Reynolds

Drag

Spheres

Ballistics
Modeling Gravity and Atmospheric Density
Standard Atmosphere

Extending the Standard Atmosphere

A Spreadsheet

Gravitational
Parameter
Spreadsheet Applied to Model the Kittinger Descent The Spreadsheet

Model of Kittinger's Descent 

Parameter Table

Data Table
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