Physics help average acceleration

In summary, the question is asking for the magnitude of the average acceleration of a woman who fell 112 ft and landed on a metal ventilator box, crushing it to a depth of 24 in. The calculated speed of the woman just before the collision was 84.664 ft/s and the suggested equation to use is v^2 = u^2 + 2as. This can be used to find the acceleration by using the known values of the initial and final velocities and displacement.
  • #1
Melchior25
30
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So here is the question I'm stuck on.

A woman is reported to have fallen 112 ft from a building, landing on a metal ventilator box, which she crushed to a depth of 24 in. She suffered only minor injuries.

Calculate the magnitude of her average acceleration while in contact with the box.

I know average accel. = (delta v) / (delta t)

I calculated the speed of the woman just before she collided with the box to be 84.664 ft/s.

Although I'm a bit lost on how to calculate the avg. acceleration because I'm not sure what equation I should use to calculate (t).
 
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  • #2
Try using one of the equations of motion which doesn't involve time, that is,

v^2 = u^2 + 2as

where v is the final velocity, u is the initial velocity, a is the average acceleration and s is the displacement between when vel = u and vel = v
 
  • #3
DELETED: gave the wrong formula by mistake. Rudipoo is right.
 
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  • #4
You need to know the accleration to find the time using the s = ut - 0/5at^2 equation, so that's no good surely, because that's ultimatley what you're trying to find. Use your initial velocity as the one you calculated, and write down what the final velocity must be. You know the displacement while in contact with the box, and thus you can find the acceleration using equation I gave above.
 

FAQ: Physics help average acceleration

What is average acceleration?

Average acceleration is the change in velocity over a certain period of time. It measures how much an object's velocity changes per unit of time.

How do you calculate average acceleration?

Average acceleration can be calculated by dividing the change in velocity by the change in time. The formula for average acceleration is: a = (vf - vi) / t, where a is the average acceleration, vf is the final velocity, vi is the initial velocity, and t is the time interval.

What is the difference between average acceleration and instantaneous acceleration?

Average acceleration is the overall change in velocity over a period of time, while instantaneous acceleration is the acceleration at a specific moment in time. Average acceleration is calculated using the final and initial velocities, while instantaneous acceleration is calculated using the derivative of the velocity function.

How is average acceleration related to Newton's second law of motion?

Newton's second law of motion states that the force applied to an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration. Average acceleration is a measure of how much an object's velocity changes, and therefore it is directly related to the force applied to the object.

What are some real-life examples of average acceleration?

Some examples of average acceleration in everyday life include a car accelerating from a stop sign, a person riding a bike and gradually increasing their speed, and a roller coaster gradually gaining speed as it goes down a hill. Any time an object's velocity changes over time, average acceleration is involved.

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