A mountain climber with a mass of 55 kg starts from a height of 850 m above sea level at 9 in the
morning and reaches a height of 2400 m by noon. What is the climber’s average power?
To find the climber's average power, we need to calculate the work done and divide it by the total time taken.
First, let's calculate the work done by the climber. Work is defined as the force applied multiplied by the distance traveled. In this case, the force applied is equal to the climber's weight, which can be calculated using the formula weight = mass * acceleration due to gravity.
The mass of the climber is 55 kg, and the acceleration due to gravity is approximately 9.8 m/s^2. So, the weight of the climber is 55 kg * 9.8 m/s^2 = 539 N.
The distance traveled by the climber is the difference in height, which is 2400 m - 850 m = 1550 m.
Therefore, the work done by the climber is equal to the force applied (539 N) multiplied by the distance traveled (1550 m), which is 539 N * 1550 m = 836450 J (joules).
Now, let's calculate the time taken by the climber. The climb started at 9 am and ended at noon, which means it took 3 hours.
Finally, to find the average power, we divide the work done by the time taken. So, the average power is 836450 J / 3 hours = 278816.7 J/hour.
Therefore, the climber's average power is approximately 278816.7 J/hour.