A pole vaulter clears 3.98 m.With what speed does he strike the mat in the landing area?
A)78.0 m/s
B)6.25 m/s
C)8.83 m/s
D)4.42 m/s
E)0.226 m/s

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The potential energy of the pole vaulter at the top of the jump is converted into kinetic energy just before the vaulter lands on the mat. Using conservation of energy,

mgh = (1/2)mv^2

where m is the mass of the pole vaulter, g is the acceleration due to gravity, h is the height the vaulter cleared, and v is the velocity just before landing on the mat. Solving for v gives:

v = sqrt(2gh)

Substituting the given values, we get:

v = sqrt(2*9.81*3.98) = 8.83 m/s

Therefore, the answer is C.

A Pole Vaulter Clears 3