Question

a piano is suspended 3.6 m above the ground and is being raised to an apartment 50m high with a constant speed of 0.62m/s. After the piano has been moving upward for 3.5 s a coffee cup falls from the apartment window onto the piano. at what height above the ground is the piano when the cup strikes it?

Answer 1

The piano is at a height of 5.8 m from the ground when the cup strikes it.

The piano travels with a constant speed v of 0.62 m/s for a time t of 3.5 s. The distance d traveled by the piano during this time is given by,

`d = vt =(0.62 m/s)(3.5 s)=2.17 m`

The piano is at a height of 3.6 m from the ground, before it ascends with a constant speed.

Therefore, the height h of the piano from the ground is given by,

`h=(3.6 m)+(2.17 m)=5.77 m`

The height of the piano from the ground is 5.8 m.