How much work is done on a bicyclist and her bike when coasting up a hill?

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a bicyclist and her bike coasting up a hill, with specific initial and final speeds provided. The task is to determine the work done on the bicyclist and her bike during this motion, using principles of kinetic energy.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the calculation of kinetic energy and the work-energy principle, with attempts to find the change in kinetic energy as the work done. There are questions about the correctness of the mathematical expressions used in the calculations.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided feedback on the mathematical formulation of the problem, indicating that there may be errors in the expressions used to calculate the work done. The discussion is ongoing, with attempts to clarify the equations and the reasoning behind the calculations.

Contextual Notes

There is mention of a specific numerical result that participants believe to be incorrect, prompting further examination of the calculations and assumptions made in the problem setup.

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Homework Statement



Coasting along at 7.10 m/s, a 60.0 kg bicyclist on a 7.60 kg bicycle encounters a small hill. If the speed of the bicyclist is 6.00 m/s at the top of the hill, how much work was done on the bicyclist and her bike?


Homework Equations



KEf-KEi=W
.5mvi^2-.5mvf^2
kg*m^2*s^-2
m=60kg+7.60kg
v=m/s


The Attempt at a Solution



I tried finding the loss in KE and having that be the work done. I get

.5mVf^2 -.5mVi^2
.5*67.6kg*36 - .5*67.6kg*50.41

I get -487 J and it tells me this is the wrong answer? What did I do wrong?
 
Last edited:
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Please write out the whole equations. Include the mass and the units.
 
I tried finding the loss in KE and having that be the work done. I get

.5m(Vf-Vi)^2 and I get -487 J and it tells me this is the wrong answer? What did I do wrong?

Your final expression is incorrect mathematically.
 
I relized i posted that wrong but the answer comes out to -487 the right way but that's the wrong answer. I edited and wrote everything out.
 

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