How Does Physics Ensure a Safe Water Skier Stunt Over a Shark Tank?

[Bostonpancake0]

You've taken a summer job at a water park. In one stunt, a water skier is going to glide up the 2.0m high frictionless ramp, then sail over a 5.0m wide shark tank. You will be driving the boat that pulls her to the ramp. She'll drop the tow rope at the base of the ramp as you veer away. What minimum speed must you have as you reach the ramp such that she survive?.


Two questions: Why can't I use projectile motion to find her minimum horizontal speed?, and how do I solve this without projectile motion with little information (e.g her mass).

 

[mfb]

There is some information about the ramp missing to solve the problem.
The free fall can be solved like a projectile motion, but you have to consider that the skier has to climb the ramp first, too.

Here is the mass: m.
You don't need a numerical value to solve the problem.

 

[ehild]

You have to use projectile motion, but you do not need the mass.
You can assume that the angle of the ramp is set to optimum, so as the skier needs the minimum speed to overcome the shark tank.

ehild

 

[rude man]

You can assume the optimim angle of the ramp but I would run to the instructor and tell him his problem is unsolvable with the given information also!