Exciting Physics Problem: Calculate the Mass of a Bungee Jumper!

What data do we have regarding the bungee jumper?

The bungee jumper sits on a ledge 450 ft above the ground and has 83000 J of GPE. What is the jumper's mass?

Answer:

The mass of the bungee jumper is approximately 60.5 kg.

Let's dive into this exciting physics problem! The bungee jumper is on a ledge 450 ft above the ground with a gravitational potential energy (GPE) of 83000 J. We need to determine the jumper's mass based on this information.

To solve this problem, we can use the formula for gravitational potential energy: GPE = mgh, where GPE is the gravitational potential energy, m is the mass of the object, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height.

Given that the GPE is 83000 J and the height is 450 ft, we first need to convert the height to meters. Using the conversion factor 1 ft = 0.3048 meters, we find that 450 ft is equivalent to 137.16 meters.

Next, we rearrange the formula to solve for the mass: m = GPE / (g * h). Plugging in the values of GPE = 83000 J, g = 10 m/s², and h = 137.16 m, we calculate the mass to be approximately 60.5 kg.

Therefore, the mass of the bungee jumper is approximately 60.5 kg based on the provided data of the height and gravitational potential energy. It's incredible how physics principles can help us understand and solve real-world scenarios like this one!