A skier, of mass 60. kg, pushes off the top of a frictionless hill with an initial speed of 4.0 m/s. How fast will she be moving after dropping 10. m in elevation?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The skier's speed can be found using the conservation of energy principle. The potential energy lost when dropping 10 m is converted into kinetic energy. The potential energy lost is $mgh = 60 \times 9.8 \times 10$, and the kinetic energy gained is $\frac{1}{2}mv^2$. Solving for $v$ when equating the initial kinetic energy plus the potential energy lost to the final kinetic energy gives a speed of approximately 15 m/s.

A Skier, of Mass 60