a 60.00-kg athlete leaps straight up into the air from a trampoline with an intial speed of 9.0 m/s. The goal of this problem is to find the maxiumum height she attains and her speed at half maximum height. what are the interacting objects and how do they interact?

1 answer

I do not see any interacting objects except the earth (providing gravitational force) and the body. The mass is also irrelevant since it will cancel.

F = m a = - m g
so
a = -g

Vi = +9 m/s
g = -9.81 m/s^2

V at top = 0
V = Vi - 9.81 t
so
t = 9/9.81 = .917 seconds rising

Max h = height when V = 0
= Vi t - (1/2) g t^2
= 9 (.917) - 4.9 (.917)^2
= 8.26-4.13 = 4.13 meters

speed at 2.06 meters?
2.06 = 9 t - 4.9 t^2

4.9 t^2 - 9 t + 2.06 = 0

t = [ 9 +/- sqrt (81-40.4) ] /9.81
= [9 +/- 6.37 }/9.81
use either time, one is on the way up, the other on the way down, same speed, opposite directions. for example use - sign
t = .268 seconds
V = 9 - 9.81 (.268) = 6.37 m/s