SCENERIO: You are working for a humanitarianaid agency that plans to air-drop supplies into a war-torn region.The political landscape is such that in order to reach thecivilians in need – and not fall into the wrong hands – thesupplies must land in a very precise location. The agency’shelicopters are equipped with a ramp down which bundles of suppliescan be rolled as a means of launching them. The bundles of suppliesare spherical and cylindrical, and come in a variety of sizes andmasses. Enough friction is present on the ramp that all bundles arecertain to roll without slipping as they are launched. It is up toyou to determine from where on the ramp each bundle of suppliesshould be launched, assuming the helicopter hovers at a constantheight.
QUESTION: Now assume that conditions in thewar-torn region have deteriorated to the point that it is no longersafe for a helicopter to hover stationary above the ground for asupply drop. How would your answers about where to drop supplieschange if they are instead released from an aircraft moving withconstant velocity? With constant acceleration?
