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ERIC Number: EJ1272199
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Oct
Pages: 3
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0031-921X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Modeling ICBM Trajectories around a Rotating Globe with Systems Tool Kit
Blanco, Philip
Physics Teacher, v58 n7 p494-496 Oct 2020
In the April 2018 issue of "TPT," Joseph Amato presented an analysis of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) trajectories as applied to recent test launches from North Korea. Using properties of their elliptical paths, he derived relationships between launch velocity, elevation angle, and maximum range. However, this approach cannot include the effects of Earth's rotation, even though they should be significant for ICBM speeds [approximately equal to] 6 km/s and flight times [approximately equal to] 25 min. Here I use the aerospace industry software Systems Tool Kit (STK), freely available for school use, to model ICBM paths launched from various locations on a spinning globe. The results illustrate the effects of a rotating Earth on ballistic motion, while demonstrating STK's utility as a simulation tool for educators and students.
American Association of Physics Teachers. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740. Tel: 301-209-3300; Fax: 301-209-0845; e-mail: pubs@aapt.org; Web site: http://aapt.scitation.org/journal/pte
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A