How much force or speed is needed to jump

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on calculating the force and speed required to jump a specific height with a given weight. The key equation used is mgh = 1/2 mv², where m is mass, g is gravitational acceleration, and h is height. Participants clarify that the mass does not affect the velocity needed for a jump, and corrections are made regarding the algebra involved in solving for velocity. The simplified formula v = √(2gh) leads to a more accurate calculation of the required speed for a one-foot jump, resulting in approximately 4.0 feet per second. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the importance of proper algebraic manipulation in physics calculations.
inh
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How fast does something need to accelerate in order to jump? Say a weight of 100 lbs, or kg's, etc.
 
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How high?

The equation is:

mgh = 1/2 mv²

Which is assuming that you are jumping straight up.
 
I don't have a set height, or weight really, just wondering how to determine how much force it takes to make X amont of weight move Y feet vertically.

I get the rest of the equation, but what does mgh stand for?
 
inh said:
but what does mgh stand for?
m: mass
g: gravitational acceleration near the surface of the earth. (9.8m/s^2 in SI units, about 32 feet per second^2 in imperial units).
h: the height of the jump.
 
exactly what i was looking for

thank you very much :)
 
how off am i? using a mass of 10 lbs, height of 1 foot, and g = 32.15 feet, i get 10336.23 for mgh.

v^2 = .5 * 10 * 10336.23

v = 227.33 feet per second

so to move a 10 weight 1 foot in the air it needs to have a velocity of 227 feet per second? seems a bit high...
 
inh said:
how off am i? using a mass of 10 lbs, height of 1 foot, and g = 32.15 feet, i get 10336.23 for mgh.

v^2 = .5 * 10 * 10336.23

v = 227.33 feet per second

so to move a 10 weight 1 foot in the air it needs to have a velocity of 227 feet per second? seems a bit high...
Uhh, 10*32.15*1 = 321.5 < 10336.23
 
inh said:
how off am i? using a mass of 10 lbs, height of 1 foot, and g = 32.15 feet, i get 10336.23 for mgh.

v^2 = .5 * 10 * 10336.23

v = 227.33 feet per second

so to move a 10 weight 1 foot in the air it needs to have a velocity of 227 feet per second? seems a bit high...

Uhh your algebra is a bit off. Solve for v in the equation DaleSpam posted earlier, you'll find the mass doesn't even matter.

+DaleSpam's calculation correction.
 
isnt it 10 * 32.15^2 * 1 and not 10 * 32.15 * 1 ?

also, i was simplifying the equation earlier, and i believe i got it down to v^2 = .5gh which netted 4.009 for v for a 1 foot jump. that looks better to me, how about you?
 
  • #10
inh said:
also, i was simplifying the equation earlier, and i believe i got it down to v^2 = .5gh which netted 4.009 for v for a 1 foot jump. that looks better to me, how about you?
4.009 what?

The formula you got is almost right though - you just put your factor of 2 in the wrong place ;-)
 
  • #11
\frac{1}{2}mv^2=mgh

rearranges to: h=\frac{v^2}{2g} of v=\sqrt{2gh} so to get 1 foot (which I'm going to say is approximately a third of a meter since I'm not american) and g is approximately 10m/s%2 gets me v=\sqrt{2(10)(1/3)}\approx 2.6 m/s
 
  • #12
4.0 fps^2

looks like i was off by half :) thanks for the help guys
 
  • #13
inh said:
4.0 fps^2

looks like i was off by half :) thanks for the help guys

Note the answer for velocity has units of fps, not fps^2.
 
  • #14
ah yea, sorry about that. v = 4.0 fps, the actual acceleration is fps^2, sorry about the confusion
 
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