Skier and ForcesScience brain teasers require understanding of the physical or biological world and the laws that govern it.
Patrick, a student who was humiliating himself on the ski slopes, decided to take a break in the lodge. Patrick was so discouraged that he turned to his physics teacher for help in skiing. Dr. Moore, the professor, was very keen on seeing daily lives as physics problems. So, the professor wanted Patrick to prove that skiing dealt with conservative forces. The professor said, "My mass is exactly 80kg. If I started from rest at the top of the slope and skied down the slope (total elevation = 110m) and you clocked my speed at 20m/s at the bottom of the slope, would this system be conservative?"
What's the answer to the professor's question? HintIf this example is conservative, then total initial mechanical energy will equal total final mechanical energy.Hide What Next?
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