- #1
guitarguy1
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Homework Statement
Tarzan, whose mass is 110 kg, is hanging at rest from a tree limb. Then he let's go and falls to the ground. Just before he let's go, his center of mass is at a height 3.0 m above the ground and the bottom of his dangling feet are at a height 2.0 above the ground. When he first hits the ground he has dropped a distance 2.0, so his center of mass is (3.0 - 2.0) above the ground. Then his knees bend and he ends up at rest in a crouched position with his center of mass a height 0.5 above the ground.
(a) Consider the point particle system. What is the speed v at the instant just before Tarzan's feet touch the ground?
(b) Consider the real system. What is the net change in internal energy for Tarzan from just before his feet touch to the ground to when he is in the crouched position?
Homework Equations
Fnet x distance = 1/2mv^2
The Attempt at a Solution
Part (a) was easy. I got 6.261 m/s. I'm having trouble with part (b). I at first thought it might be 0 J since it asks to consider the real system rather than point particle system, but that's not right. I understand that its just the energy exerted to bring him to a stop, but I'm not really sure what to do here.