Divers in Acapulco dive from a cliff that is 56 m high. If the rocks below the cliff extend outward for 23 m, what is the minimum horizontal velocity a diver must have to clear the rocks?

1 answer

Vx > 23 m/(fall time from cliff)

fall time = sqrt (2H/g)= 3.38 s

The data are phoney here. The divers would have to be running at a 4-minute-mile rate towards the cliff before they jump. The actual cliff heght is 30 meters and I do not believe the cliff extends out as far as 23 m at the place where they land. I have seen this dive performed and can verify that the numbers are wrong.