Question

A pile driver lifts a 450 kg weight and then lets it fall onto the end of a steel pipe that needs to be driven into the ground. A fall of 1.5 m drives the pipe in 45 cm.
What is the average force exerted on the pipe?

Answer 1

the gravitational potential energy becomes work driving the pipe

m g h = f d

450 * g * 1.5 = f * .45

Answer 2

14715 N

Answer 3

You have to add the distance to the first half of the eqaution so it is 450 times 1.95 times 9.8 divided by .45