What height does a frictionless playground slide need so that a 35 kg child reaches the bottom at a speed of 4.5 m/s?

Short Answer

Expert verified

As a result, the frictionless slide's height must be1m.

Step by step solution

01

Introduction

If there is no external force, the sum of any system's initial kinetic and potential energy equals the sum of the system's ultimate kinetic and potential energy. It denotes that the total of kinetic and potential energy changes is zero.

ΔK+ΔU=0

we have ΔKis the difference between kinetic energy and potential energy ΔUis the difference between potential energy and actual energy.

02

Explanation 

By Diagram:

The sum of changes in kinetic and potential energy is 0 since no external effort is done on the system. Therefore,

ΔK+ΔU=0

We have ΔKis the boy's kinetic energy changing and ΔUis the boy's potential energy changing.

The following is the equation for kinetic energy change:

ΔK=12mv12-12mv02

we seev0is the young boy initial speed,v1is the boy's final speed as he reaches the ground

03

Explanation 

The following is the equation for the change in potential energy:

ΔU=mgy1-mgy0

=mgy1-y0

we have y0is the slide's height andy1is the ground's elevation.

From,

ΔK+ΔU=0

as from above,

12mv12-12mv02+mgy1-y0=0

v02-v12=-2gy0-y1

y0-y1=v02-v12-2g

Putting 0m/sfor v0,4.5m/sfor v1,9.8m/s2for gand 0mfor y1.

y0-0m=(0m/s)2-(4.5m/s)2-29.8m/s2

y0=1m

As a result, the frictionless slide's height must be1m.

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