Why must a water skier at constant velocity lean back?

AI Thread Summary
A water skier must lean backward while moving at a constant velocity to maintain equilibrium and prevent rotation, particularly to counteract the torque created by the tension in the tow line and water resistance. The forces acting on the skier include air resistance, water resistance, tension from the rope, and gravity, all of which must balance to keep the net force and torque at zero. Leaning back shifts the skier's center of gravity, allowing gravity to provide a counteracting torque against the forces trying to flip her forward. A proper free-body diagram illustrates these forces and their directions, emphasizing the importance of gravity and the normal force from the skis. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for maintaining stability while water skiing.
Lola Luck
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Homework Statement


Why must a water skier moving with constant velocity lean backward? What determines how far back she must lean? Draw a free-body diagram for the water skier to justify your answers.

Homework Equations


Equilibrium: Fnet=0 and Torquenet=0
rcenter of mass=(m1r1+m2r2+m3r3...)/(m1+m2+m3...)

This chapter also discusses stress, strain, elasticity etc. but I don't think it's applicable to this problem.

The Attempt at a Solution



In my free body diagram, the forces acting on the skier are air resistance and water resistance in the negative direction, and the tension in the rope she's holding in the positive direction.

The net force will always be zero because the tension will match resistance. The torque needs to be kept at 0 so she doesn't flip. I think she leans back to keep the torque at 0, but I'm not sure why that would work.
 
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Just where are these forces acting on the skier.
 
Air resistance acts across the front of the skier (equivalent to being concentrated at the center of mass), and water resistance, which exerts more force, acts along the skis. The tension acts along her arms, probably near the center of mass.
 
Lola Luck said:
The torque needs to be kept at 0 so she doesn't flip.
And, how does she accomplish zero torque?
 
Lola Luck said:
Air resistance acts across the front of the skier (equivalent to being concentrated at the center of mass), and water resistance, which exerts more force, acts along the skis. The tension acts along her arms, probably near the center of mass.
Don't overlook gravity! Gravity acts vertically downwards; you can often picture it being concentrated at about waist height, when standing.
 
Bystander said:
And, how does she accomplish zero torque?

by leaning back, apparently. is it because she shifts her center of gravity?
 
NascentOxygen said:
Don't overlook gravity! Gravity acts vertically downwards; you can often picture it being concentrated at about waist height, when standing.

Oh yeah, completely forgot about gravity in the free body diagram...
 
Lola Luck said:
Oh yeah, completely forgot about gravity in the free body diagram...
So, can you show on a stick figure how gravity can counter the tendency of the tow line to produce a face plant (i.e., a rotation about the ankle straps)?
 
Show us the free body diagram. Did you include the normal force at the feet/lift force due to the skies?
 
  • #10
I can't show the free body diagram but i have the tension of the cable, gravity, air resistance, water resistance (friction?), normal force (buoyancy?). Is it because leaning back causes gravity to have a torque that counters the water resistance?
 
  • #11
ok it might be sideways but the top one is without leaning and the bottom one is with leaning
 

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  • #12
That looks like the right idea, but ... If skiing at constant speed, fa whatever it is won't be there. I would keep the skis flat, and water resistance and bouyancy shouldn't change to act at an angle.
 
  • #13
Fa is air resistance... I guess it's not necessary to include it. I think i have it figured out- thank you for your help!
 
  • #14
Ski's aren't very bouyant. FB would be due to lift caused by the skis being at an angle to the water.

When you show the man leaning back I would leave the FB pointing vertically. You already have FW due to friction (drag) and I would suggest that FB and FW should be orthogonal (at 90 degrees to each other).
 
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