What Is the Average Force Exerted by Water on a Diver?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the average force exerted by water on a diver who jumps into a pool. The only given information is the mass of the diver, which raises questions about the necessary parameters for solving the problem, such as the diver's velocity upon entering the water and the height from which they jumped.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the relationship between energy, force, and velocity changes upon impact with the water. Some question whether the diver's velocity is zero when hitting the water and discuss the implications of constant deceleration. Others inquire about the sufficiency of the provided information and suggest that additional parameters are needed for a complete analysis.

Discussion Status

The conversation is ongoing, with participants sharing various interpretations and approaches to the problem. Some have offered thoughts on how to calculate the force based on assumptions about deceleration, while others express uncertainty about the adequacy of the given data. There is no explicit consensus on how to proceed, but multiple lines of reasoning are being explored.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the potential need for additional information, such as the height of the dive or the diver's speed upon entering the water, to accurately determine the average force. There is also mention of the diver's mass, with some confusion about its value.

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how do you solve a problem like this? a diver jumps into the water. what is the force exerted by the water? we are only given the mass of the diver

i know it has to do with energy (gravitational and potential?), but i don't know how to do it.
 
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xicedcandyx said:
how do you solve a problem like this? a diver jumps into the water. what is the force exerted by the water? we are only given the mass of the diver

i know it has to do with energy (gravitational and potential?), but i don't know how to do it.

What are your thoughts on how do do it? Does the diver's velocity change when they hit the water? What do you know about velocity changes and what causes them?
 
1. a 10 kg diver dives into a pool. what is the average force the water exerts on the man?


2. W= Fnet * \Deltar
KE= 1/2 mv2
W= F \Deltar cos\theta

3. W= F\Deltar cos\theta
W= -Fwaterd

do i have enough info?
 
isn't velocity 0 when the diver hits the water? velocity changes are caused by force according to Newton's 1st law. sooo the force of the water changes the velocity? i still don't get how to find the force the water exerts if i only have the mass :(
 
xicedcandyx said:
isn't velocity 0 when the diver hits the water? velocity changes are caused by force according to Newton's 1st law. sooo the force of the water changes the velocity? i still don't get how to find the force the water exerts if i only have the mass :(

The velocity of what? The diver is moving down when he hits the water, and is decelerated smoothly as he enters the water and goes down a ways to a stop.

You are right that the water exerts a force during that time, which causes the deceleration. The deceleration may have a constant rate or not, depending on your assumptions.

Pick a total decelration time, and assume a constant deceleration, and calculate the water force required. Then pick a total time that is half of the first one you chose. How much does the average force go up?
 
No, I don't think there's enough info to solve this. Unless I am mistaken, we need to know from which height the diver jumped (or at least his speed when he entered the water), and how much he moved once in the water.

And the diver's mass is 10kg? Did your mean 100kg?
 
Or, it's a "trick" question ... (i.e. too much info). How much of a difference does it make if the diver dives or just climbs in? I suppose one other piece of info, which must be assumed, is that a person is most likely very slightly less dense than water.
 
(The two threads on the same question merged into one...)
 
Wait, are you supposed to reach a numerical answer (e.g., 5N)? Or can it be in terms of other variables or parameters?
 
  • #10
xicedcandyx said:
1. a 10 kg diver dives into a pool. what is the average force the water exerts on the man?
Zero; he's still dry.

However the force his wife exerts on him for having just dropped their 1 year old baby in the pool is substantial.
 

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