Question

A 60-kg skier starts at the top of a 10-meter high slope. At the bottom, she is traveling 10 m/s. How much energy does she lose to friction?

Answer 1

The potential energy of the skier at the top is
60 kg (9.81 m/s2) (10 m) = 5886 J

Her kinetic energy at the bottom is
(1/2) (60 kg) (10 m/s)^2 = 3000 J

The energy lost to friction is
5886 J - 3000 J = 2886 J