A high-jumper with a mass of 65 kg just clears a height of 2.13 m and drops onto a 0.30 m thick landing mat.
What average net force does the landing mat exert
on the high-jumper if it is compressed by 0.18 m during the landing?

Question

A high-jumper with a mass of 65 kg just clears a height of 2.13 m and drops onto a 0.30 m thick landing mat.
What average net force does the landing mat exert
on the high-jumper if it is compressed by 0.18 m during the landing?

anonymous · Answer

So far I have done...
EP=mgh
    =65*9.8*2.25
    =1433.25 J

Therefore EK = 1433.25 J at bottom
From EK=1/2mv^2 I found that v=6.64 m s-1 but I'm not sure how to continue to find the force. Would someone please be able to help me?

xishem · Answer

Work is the change in kinetic energy -- it is also a force applied over a distance, so you should be able to find the change in kinetic energy and relate that to the distance over which the force from the mat was applied.