Question

Stephen (mass = 72 kg), lands stiff legged on the floor after stepping off a platform of unknown height. He hits the ground with a velocity of -5.0 m/s.

a) What is his momentum at impact?

Answer 1

Stephen's momentum at impact is -360 kg·m/s, indicating a downward direction since velocity is negative.

Step-by-step explanation:

When Stephen, who has a mass of 72 kg, steps off a platform and lands on the ground with a velocity of -5.0 m/s, his momentum at impact can be calculated using the formula for linear momentum, which is p = m × v, where p is momentum, m is mass, and v is velocity.

Plugging the values into the formula gives:

p = 72 kg × (-5.0 m/s) = -360 kg·m/s.

The negative sign indicates that the direction of momentum is opposite to the reference direction, which in this case is downwards. Remember, in physics, momentum is a vector quantity and has both magnitude and direction.