Question

A skydiver has a mass of 80 kg. When she is at a height of 900 m, her GPE is

705,600 J. She is falling at a velocity of 32 m/s downward. What is her ME at this
point?

Answer 1

The mechanical energy of the skydiver at this point is 746,560 J.

Step-by-step explanation:

The potential energy of the skydiver can be calculated using the formula:
GPE = mass * gravitational acceleration * height

Given that the mass of the skydiver is 80 kg and the height is 900 m, we can plug in these values into the formula:
GPE = 80 kg * 9.8 m/s^2 * 900 m = 705,600 J

The mechanical energy (ME) of the skydiver at this point can be calculated as the sum of the potential energy (GPE) and the kinetic energy (KE):
ME = GPE + KE

Since the skydiver is falling at a velocity of 32 m/s downward, the kinetic energy can be calculated using the formula:
KE = 0.5 * mass * velocity^2

Plugging in the values, we get:
KE = 0.5 * 80 kg * (32 m/s)^2 = 40,960 J

Now we can calculate the mechanical energy (ME) by adding the potential energy (GPE) and the kinetic energy (KE):
ME = 705,600 J + 40,960 J = 746,560 J

Therefore, the mechanical energy of the skydiver at this point is 746,560 J.