Question

Question 3 of 32

Two clowns at a circus are performing an act in which one clown jumps down
on a seesaw and launches the other clown, who is standing on the opposite
end, as shown in the image below. Without losses due to friction or air
resistance, this process will go on forever in periodic motion. If the clown on
the left has a mass of 75 kg and a starting height of 5 m, what is the
maximum height that the clown on the right can reach if she has a mass of
50 kg?

Answer 1

The maximum height that the clown on the right can reach is 7.5 meters.Therefore, the maximum height that the clown on the right can reach is 7.5 meters.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the maximum height that the clown on the right can reach, we can use the principle of conservation of energy.

The clown on the left has potential energy due to their starting height, which is converted into the potential energy of the clown on the right at their maximum height.

Using the equation for potential energy, P.E. = mgh, where m is the mass, g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s^2), and h is the height, we can calculate:

For the clown on the left: P.E. = (75 kg) * (9.8 m/s^2) * (5 m) = 3675 J

For the clown on the right: P.E. = (50 kg) * (9.8 m/s^2) * (h)

Solving for h: h = 3675 J / (50 kg * 9.8 m/s^2) = 7.5 m

Therefore, the maximum height that the clown on the right can reach is 7.5 meters.