Question

Michael uses his bike to apply 438 N to himself and the bike by pedaling as he approaches a 1.0 m tall ramp which is 5.3 m away. He starts from rest to accomplish this feat. How fast will he be moving just before he hits the ramp?

Answer 1

Michael's speed before hitting the ramp can be calculated using the work-energy principle, which equates the work done by pedaling to the kinetic energy gained. The work done is the force applied multiplied by the distance, which can then be set equal to the kinetic energy formula to solve for velocity.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine how fast Michael will be moving just before he hits the ramp, we can use the work-energy principle. This principle states that the work done on an object is equal to the change in its kinetic energy. We are given that Michael applies 438 N of force to the bike and himself to move a distance of 5.3 m.

The work done can be calculated using the formula Work (W) = Force (F) × Distance (d). Thus, W = 438 N × 5.3 m. This work results in kinetic energy, which is expressed as Kinetic Energy (KE) = ½ m v², where m is the mass and v is the velocity.

Assuming no energy losses due to friction or air resistance, all of the work done by pedaling will convert into kinetic energy. Once we calculate the work done, we can then determine the velocity using the kinetic energy formula, solving for v.