The 1994 Winter Olympics included the aerials competition in skiing. In this event skiers speed down a ramp that slopes sharply upward at the end. The sharp upward slope launches them into the air, where they perform acrobatic maneuvers. In the women's competition, the end of a typical launch ramp is directed 64¡ã above the horizontal. With this launch angle, a skier attains a height of 10 m above the end of the ramp. What is the skier's launch speed?

1 answer

V sin 64 is the vertical velocity component at launch.

To attain a vertical rise of H = 10 m,

(1/2) M (V sin64)^2 = M g H
H = V^2*sin^2(64)/2g = 0.4039 V^2/g

Solve for V