Question

A 3 kg penguin is pushed by his penguin friends who give him an initial speed vo at the top of a 30 m hill. The penguin is hoping this will be enough initial speed that he can make it all the way down this hill and up the next hill which is 45 m tall. Neglecting friction and air resistance, what does the initial speed need to be for him to make it up this second hill?

Answer 1

This question can be answered by using conversation of energy.

`K_1 + U_1 = K_2 + U_2`

`(1)/(2)mv_(0)^2 + mgh_1 = 0 + mgh_2`

`(1)/(2)(3)v_0^2 + (3)(9.8)(30) = (3)(9.8)(45)\\(1)/(2)(3)v_0^2 = 441\\v_0^2 = 294\\v_0 = 17.14 m/s`

Step-by-step explanation:

Note that we take
`K_2 = 0` because we are looking for the minimum initial speed for the penguin to reach the top of the second hill. Any other speed more than this will already be enough for him.