Question

Santa slips and slides off your neighbor's roof. Santa, 100 kg, was sliding at 2 m/s when he fell off the 3 m high roof. How fast is Santa going by the time he is reaching the ground?

A. 8 m/s
B. 9 m/s
C. 10 m/s
D. 11 m/s

Answer 1

Santa's velocity when he reaches the ground is approximately 6.26 m/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine how fast Santa is going when he reaches the ground, we can use the principle of conservation of energy. Santa's potential energy when he falls off the roof is converted into kinetic energy as he accelerates towards the ground.

To find Santa's velocity when he reaches the ground, we can use the equation for kinetic energy:

Kinetic Energy = 0.5 * mass * velocity^2

At the top of the roof, Santa's potential energy is equal to his mass multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity and the height of the roof:

Potential Energy = mass * gravity * height

By setting the potential energy equal to the kinetic energy and solving for velocity, we can find Santa's velocity when he reaches the ground.

Velocity = sqrt(2 * gravity * height)

Substituting the given values:

Velocity = sqrt(2 * 9.8 m/s^2 * 3 m) = 6.26 m/s

Therefore, Santa's velocity when he reaches the ground is approximately 6.26 m/s.