A champion athlete can produce one horsepower (746 W) for a short period of time. If a 70-kg athlete were to bicycle to the summit of a 500-m high mountain while expending power at this rate, she would reach the summit in ____ seconds.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To calculate the time it takes for the athlete to reach the summit, we use the formula for power: Power = Work/Time. The work done is equal to the gravitational potential energy gained, which is mgh (mass * gravity * height). Given: m = 70 kg, g = 9.8 m/s^2, h = 500 m, and Power = 746 W. Substituting these values, we get 746 = (70*9.8*500)/Time. Solving for Time gives approximately 460 seconds.

A Champion Athlete Can Produce One Horsepower (746 W) for a Short