At the top of a giant swing on the high bar, a 50 kg gymnast’s velocity is 3 m/s, and he is 3.5 m high. What is the gymnast’s total mechanical energy (KE + PE+ SE) at this instant?
At the top of a giant swing on the high bar, a 50 kg gymnast’s velocity is 3 m/s, and he is 3.5 m high. What is the gymnast’s total mechanical energy (KE + PE+ SE) at this instant?
Answer:
Total Mechanical Energy of the gymnast = 1940J = 1.94 kJ
Explanation:
Total Mechanical Energy = KE + PE + SE
Kinetic Energy, [tex]KE = 1/2 MV^{2}[/tex]
[tex]KE = 0.5 * 50 * 3^{2} \\KE = 225 J[/tex]
Potential Energy,
[tex]PE = mgh\\PE = 50 * 9.8 * 3.5\\\\PE=1715 J[/tex]
Strain Energy,
[tex]SE = 1/2 K x^{2}[/tex]
Since there is no force of deformation, x = 0, SE = 0
Total Mechanical Energy = 225 + 1715
Total Mechanical Energy of the gymnast = 1940J = 1.94 kJ