A parachutist of mass 50.0 kg jumps out of an airplane at a height of 1 000 m.The parachute deploys,and she lands on the ground with a speed of 5.0 m/s.How much energy was lost to air friction during this jump?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The potential energy at the start is mgh = 50 * 9.8 * 1000 = 490,000 J. The kinetic energy when landing is 0.5 * 50 * 5^2 = 625 J. The energy lost to air friction is the difference: 490,000 J - 625 J = 489,375 J, which rounds to 489,000 J.

A Parachutist of Mass 50