# Problem involving a skier, friction and conservation of energy

1. Oct 21, 2014

### honeyspells

::A skier of mass 63.0kg starts from rest at the top of a ski slope of height 62.0m .A skier of mass 63.0kg starts from rest at the top of a ski slope of height 62.0m .

A) If frictional forces do −1.00×104J of work on her as she descends, how fast is she going at the bottom of the slope?
Take free fall acceleration to be g = 9.80m/s2 .

B) Now moving horizontally, the skier crosses a patch of soft snow, where the coefficient of friction is μk = 0.210. If the patch is of width 64.0m and the average force of air resistance on the skier is 180N , how fast is she going after crossing the patch?

C) After crossing the patch of soft snow, the skier hits a snowdrift and penetrates a distance 2.90m into it before coming to a stop. What is the average force exerted on her by the snowdrift as it stops her?

m=63.0kg
g= 9.8m/s2
H=62.0m

What I've done:
A)
U= mgH= (63.0kg)(9.8m/s2)(62.0m)= 38278.8 N-m

NET FORCE= 38278.8-1000= 37278.8

37278.8= (1/2)mv2
37278.8= (31.5)v2
so v= 34.401

Mastering physics says that is WRONG. I've checked my math over and over again. Where did I go wrong?

tips?

Last edited: Oct 21, 2014
2. Oct 21, 2014

### _N3WTON_

Sorry but this is completely wrong, the formula you are using for potential energy gives you energy for an answer, not a force. The equation you want to use is the law of conservation of energy:
$\frac{1}{2}m{v_1}^2 + mgy_1 = \frac{1}{2}m{v_2}^2 + mgy_2 + F_{fr}l$

3. Oct 21, 2014

### Staff: Mentor

You're calculating energy, not force. Note that from the question statement that the work done by friction has a magnitude of 1 x 104. That's 10,000 not 1000 Joules.