Peter, a student was humiliating himself on the ski slopes. So, he decided to take a break in the lodge. Peter was so discouraged that he turned to his physics teacher for help in skiing.

Dr. Miller, the professor, was very keen on seeing daily lives as physics problems. So, the professor wanted Peter to prove that skiing dealt with conservative forces.

Dr. Miller said, "My mass is exactly 80kg. If I started from rest at the top of the slope and skied down the slope (total elevation = 110m) and you clocked my speed at 20m/s at the bottom of the slope, would this system be conservative?

What is the answer to the professor's question? Explain your answer with valid reasoning.

Since the Potential energy loss is much more than the kinetic energy gained (correctly pointed out by others), there is energy loss due to friction and air resistance.  Both such forces are path-dependent, and therefore NOT conservative.

Posted by Kenny M on 2023-02-26 07:35:54