Total energy during the fall is constant.
Thus loos of potential energy = gain in kinetic energy
m g h = (1/2) m v^2
so
v = sqrt (2 gh)
Force * distance = energy
Here the energy is m g h, the loss of potential energy during the fall.
A 71.1 kg man steps out a window and falls (from rest) 1.24 m to a sidewalk. What is his speed just before his feet strike the pavement?
If the man falls with his knees and ankles locked, the only cushion for his fall is a 0.500 cm give in the pads of his feet. Calculate the average force exerted on him by the ground in this situation. This average force is sufficient to cause cartilage damage in the joints or to break bones.
1 answer