Nonconservative forces/ and conservation energy problem

You should end up with two solutions. One of them will not make sense in this context because it will be a negative height. So you will only need to take the other one.
  • #1
logglypop
47
0
An 80kg sky diver jump out of a balloon at an altitude of 1000m and opens the parachute at an altitude of 200m.a) assuming that the total retarding force on the diver is constant at 50N with the parachute closed and constant at 3600 with the parachute open, what is the speed of the diver when he lands on the ground?b) do you think the sky diver will get hurt? c) at what height should the parachute be opened so that the final speed of the sky diver when he hits the ground is 5m/s

i have no clue where do i start with.
please help me out
sincerly
 
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  • #2
Welcome to PF. Unfortunately the guidelines of the forums do not allow us to give solutions when you have shown no attempt at the question yourself. The guidelines are here: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=5374

What equations do you think you need to solve this problem?
 
  • #3
1/2mv^2 and mgh
i try problem 2 time,
my answer is different from book but they doesn't show me how to there
 
  • #5
yes i seen those equation this is wat i do for a). i use velocity and displacement to find the Velocity as he hit the ground
v^2=V^2+2aX
v^2=0+2(9.8)(1000-200)
i got V= 125

did i do anything wrong?
 
  • #6
For part a you are going to have to do it in two stages. The first stage is where the parachutist has not opened his parachute and the second is when he has opened his parachute. Remember that he hasa constant retarding force in both cases which means he will not accelerate at the full 9.81 ms-2 due to gravity.
 
  • #7
F=ma
a=50/80=.625m/s^2
v^2=V^2+2aX v^2=0+2(.625)800=31.6m/s this is the final velocity of his 1st part where he open the parachute. correct me if i wrong
 
  • #8
The acceleration he experiences will be 9.81 - 0.625 ms-2 ok?
 
  • #9
The acceleration he experiences will be 9.81 - 0.625 ms-2 ok?
why is that?

i did like u say
v^2=V^2+2aX v^2=0+2(9.81-.625)800
v=121.2m/s
 
  • #10
Now the second part is when he opens the parachute. Work out what the resultant acceleration will be then. The reason the acceleration is not simply that due to gravity is the fact that he is experiencing a retarding force. That is a force that slows him down, and thus the effective acceleration is slightly less.
 
  • #11
v^2=V^2+2aX v^2 a=3600/80= 45 9.8-45= -35.2m/s^2
v^2=121+2(35.3)200
v=119m/s

according to the book answer they have 24.5m/s
what did i do wrong?
 
  • #12
You've used a positive value for the acceleration when it should be negative because the diver is slowing down now.
 
  • #13
if i use negative for acceleration then i got the square root of negative number for velocity
 
  • #14
No you don't because (121.2)2 is bigger than 400 x (-35.2).
 
  • #15
im sorry i forgot to square the initial velocity. I feel bad now
 
  • #16
logglypop said:
im sorry i forgot to square the initial velocity. I feel bad now

Its fine :smile: I've done it myself.
 
  • #17
c) v^2=V^2+2aX
5^2=v^2+2(-35.2)x

i need to find initial Velocity to calculate x, I am stuck again
give me hint please
 
  • #18
Well you know the initial velocity will be given by [itex] v^2 = u^2+2(9.185)x_1[/itex]

You also know [itex] x_1 = 1000 - h [/itex] and [itex]x_2 = h-0[/itex] and thus you can substitute into the equation you have given to get an equation of only one variable which you can solve.
 

FAQ: Nonconservative forces/ and conservation energy problem

What are nonconservative forces?

Nonconservative forces are forces that do work on a system but do not conserve the total mechanical energy of the system. These forces include friction, air resistance, and tension in a rope. Unlike conservative forces, nonconservative forces do not have potential energy associated with them.

How do nonconservative forces affect the conservation of energy?

Nonconservative forces can cause a change in the mechanical energy of a system. When these forces do work on a system, they convert some of the system's potential energy into kinetic energy, and the total mechanical energy of the system decreases. This means that the energy of the system is not conserved.

What is the conservation of energy principle?

The conservation of energy principle states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transformed from one form to another. In other words, the total energy of a closed system remains constant over time.

How can we solve problems involving nonconservative forces and conservation of energy?

To solve these types of problems, we must consider the work done by nonconservative forces and the change in mechanical energy of the system. We can use the equation ΔE = Wnc + ΔKE + ΔPE, where ΔE is the change in mechanical energy, Wnc is the work done by nonconservative forces, ΔKE is the change in kinetic energy, and ΔPE is the change in potential energy.

Can nonconservative forces be accounted for in the conservation of energy equation?

Yes, nonconservative forces can be accounted for in the conservation of energy equation. The work done by these forces can be included as a separate term in the equation, which allows us to take into account the loss or gain of mechanical energy in a system due to nonconservative forces.

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