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Ch 09: Work and Kinetic Energy
Knight Calc - Physics for Scientists and Engineers 5th Edition
Knight Calc5th EditionPhysics for Scientists and EngineersISBN: 9780137344796Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 9, Problem 60

A 90 kg firefighter needs to climb the stairs of a 20-m-tall building while carrying a 40 kg backpack filled with gear. How much power does he need to reach the top in 55 s?

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Determine the total mass being lifted by adding the firefighter's mass and the backpack's mass: \( m_{\text{total}} = m_{\text{firefighter}} + m_{\text{backpack}} \).
Calculate the gravitational force acting on the total mass using the formula \( F_{\text{gravity}} = m_{\text{total}} \cdot g \), where \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity (\( 9.8 \ \text{m/s}^2 \)).
Find the work done to lift the firefighter and backpack to the top of the building using the formula \( W = F_{\text{gravity}} \cdot h \), where \( h \) is the height of the building (20 m).
Determine the power required using the formula \( P = \frac{W}{t} \), where \( t \) is the time taken to climb the stairs (55 s).
Substitute the known values into the equations and simplify to find the power required, ensuring all units are consistent (e.g., mass in kilograms, height in meters, time in seconds).

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Work and Energy

Work is defined as the product of force and displacement in the direction of the force. In this scenario, the firefighter does work against gravity to lift his body and the backpack to a height of 20 meters. The gravitational potential energy gained by the firefighter and the backpack can be calculated using the formula PE = mgh, where m is the total mass, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height.
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Power

Power is the rate at which work is done or energy is transferred over time. It is calculated using the formula P = W/t, where W is the work done and t is the time taken. In this case, the firefighter's power output can be determined by dividing the total work done (the gravitational potential energy gained) by the time taken to climb the stairs, which is 55 seconds.
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Mass and Weight

Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object, while weight is the force exerted by gravity on that mass. The firefighter's total weight, which affects the amount of work done, is the sum of his mass and the mass of the backpack. Weight can be calculated using the formula W = mg, where m is the mass and g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.81 m/s²).
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

A spring of equilibrium length L₁ and spring constant k₁ hangs from the ceiling. Mass m₁ is suspended from its lower end. Then a second spring, with equilibrium length L₂ and spring constant k₂, is hung from the bottom of m₁. Mass m₂ is suspended from this second spring. How far is m₂ below the ceiling?

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Textbook Question

When you ride a bicycle at constant speed, nearly all the energy you expend goes into the work you do against the drag force of the air. Model a cyclist as having cross-section area 0.45 m² and, because the human body is not aerodynamically shaped, a drag coefficient of 0.90. Use 1.2 kg/m³ as the density of air at room temperature. The food calorie is equivalent to 4190 J. How many calories does the cyclist burn if he rides over level ground at 7.3 m/s for 1 h?

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Textbook Question

When you ride a bicycle at constant speed, nearly all the energy you expend goes into the work you do against the drag force of the air. Model a cyclist as having cross-section area 0.45 m² and, because the human body is not aerodynamically shaped, a drag coefficient of 0.90. Use 1.2 kg/m³ as the density of air at room temperature. Metabolic power is the rate at which your body 'burns' fuel to power your activities. For many activities, your body is roughly 25% efficient at converting the chemical energy of food into mechanical energy. What is the cyclist's metabolic power while cycling at 7.3 m/s?

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Textbook Question

A horizontal spring with spring constant 250 N/m is compressed by 12 cm and then used to launch a 250 g box across the floor. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the box and the floor is 0.23. What is the box's launch speed?

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Textbook Question

How much work does tension do to pull the mass from the bottom of the hill (θ = 0) to the top at constant speed? To answer this question, write an expression for the work done when the mass moves through a very small distance ds while it has angle θ, replace ds with an equivalent expression involving R and dθ, then integrate.

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Textbook Question

A hydroelectric power plant uses spinning turbines to transform the kinetic energy of moving water into electric energy with 80% efficiency. That is, 80% of the kinetic energy becomes electric energy. A small hydroelectric plant at the base of a dam generates 50 MW of electric power when the falling water has a speed of 18 m/s. What is the water flow rate - kilograms of water per second - through the turbines?

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