Work Done On A Falling Pilot By Air Resistance?
Filed on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 under Aviation FAQ By aviator
An airplane pilot fell 350 m after jumping from an aircraft without his parachute opening. He landed in a snowbank, creating a crater 1.1 m deep, but survived with only minor injuries. Assuming the pilot’s mass was 81 kg and his terminal velocity was 50 m/s. What is the work done on him by the air resistance as he fell?
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Tags: Done, Falling, Pilot, Resistance, Work
February 28th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
It is difficult to answer this question exactly however his kinetic energy Ke at the impact and its potential energy Pe are known. The conservations of energy is
Pe= W(air) + Ke
Then it fallows that
W(air) = Pe-Ke= m(gh – (1/2)V^2)
W(air) = 81(350×9.81 – (1/2) 50^2)=
W(air)=176,900 J