A paratrooper fell 370.0 m from an airplane without his chute opening. He landed in a snow bank, creating a crater 1.10 m deep, but survived with only minor injuries. Assuming the paratroopers mass was 80.0 Kg and his terminal velocity of 30.0 m/s. What was the work done by the snow in bringing him to rest? What was the average force exerted by the snow in bringing him to rest?
To calculate the work done by the snow and the average force exerted by the snow, we need to understand the concept of work and the formulas involved.
Work is defined as the product of force and displacement in the direction of the force. Mathematically, it is given by the formula:
Work = Force x Displacement x cos(theta)
In this case, the force exerted by the snow brings the paratrooper to rest, which means the displacement (s) is the distance over which the paratrooper is stopped (370.0 m). The angle (theta) between the force and displacement is 0 degrees because the force and displacement are in the same direction.
Let's calculate the work done by the snow first:
Work = Force x Displacement x cos(theta)
Since cos(0) = 1, the formula simplifies to:
Work = Force x Displacement
Work = Force x 370.0 m
Now, in order to calculate the force exerted by the snow, we need to rearrange the formula:
Force = Work / Displacement
Force = Work / 370.0 m
However, to find the work done, we need to know the initial velocity of the paratrooper before hitting the snow. Without this information, it is not possible to accurately calculate the work done or the force exerted.
If you have additional information or assumptions to make, please provide them, and I can help you with the calculations.