Final answer:
To calculate the total distance Alison Gibson fell, the height of the diving board is needed, which is not provided. Without this information or the initial velocity into the water, the total distance cannot be accurately calculated. The provided resistance force and underwater distance alone are insufficient.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the total distance the diver fell from the diving board to the stopping point underwater, we need to calculate the distance fallen through the air and the distance travelled underwater. Initially, we can use the work-energy principle to determine the velocity of the diver just before hitting the water. The potential energy at the diving board will be equal to the kinetic energy just before entering the water.
Given Alison Gibson's mass (m) is 50.2 kg and acceleration due to gravity (g) is 9.81 m/s2, the potential energy (PE) at the height (h) of the diving board is PE = m * g * h. This is equal to the kinetic energy (KE) just before hitting the water, KE = 0.5 * m * v2. Equating PE and KE and solving for h gives us the height of the diving board.
Underwater, the work done by the water resistance to bring the diver to rest is given by work (W) = force (F) * distance (s), where F is 1445 N and s is 5.1 m. To find the total distance, we sum the height of the diving board and the distance travelled underwater: Total distance = height of the diving board + 5.1 m.
The force of resistance and the distance travelled underwater are given, but we need the initial velocity before entering water or the height of the diving board to find the total distance. Since neither is given in the question, we cannot calculate the total distance accurately without additional information.