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In a downhill ski race, surprisingly, little advantage is gained by getting a running start. (This is because the initial kinetic energy is small compared with the gain in gravitational potential energy on even small hills.) To demonstrate this, find the final speed and the time taken for a skier who skies 70.0 m along a 30º slope neglecting friction: (a) Starting from rest. (b) Starting with an initial speed of 2.50 m/s. (c) Does the answer surprise you? Discuss why it is still advantageous to get a running start in very competitive events.Find the final speed and the time taken for a skier who skies 70.0 m along a 30º slope neglecting friction, starting from rest.

A. Final speed = 20.6 , {m/s}, Time taken = 6.79 , {s}
B. Final speed = 22.8 , {m/s}, Time taken = 7.91 , {s}
C. Final speed = 25.1 , {m/s}, Time taken = 8.97 , {s}
D. Final speed = 27.3 , {m/s}, Time taken = 10.09 , {s}

1 Answer

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Final answer:

To find the final speed and time taken for a skier who skis along a slope, neglecting friction, starting from rest, we can use the equations of motion and conservation of energy. The final speed is approximately 20.6 m/s and the time taken is approximately 6.79 s. Despite the initial lack of advantage, a running start is still advantageous in competitive events to reach higher speeds and gain momentum before entering the slope.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the final speed and time taken for a skier who skis 70.0 m along a 30° slope neglecting friction, we can use the equations of motion and conservation of energy. Starting from rest, the final speed can be found using the equation v = √(2gh), where g is the acceleration due to gravity and h is the change in height. The time taken can be found using the equation t = √(2h/g).

For a 30° slope, the change in height can be calculated as h = 70.0 m * sin(30°). Plugging in the values, the final speed is approximately 20.6 m/s and the time taken is approximately 6.79 s.

The answer might be surprising since one would expect a running start to provide an advantage. However, the gain in gravitational potential energy on even small hills is much greater compared to the initial kinetic energy. In very competitive events, a running start is still advantageous because it allows the skier to reach higher speeds and gain momentum before entering the slope.

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