A skydiver of mass 60 kg is in free-fall. She covers 40 m in two seconds. Calculate the average rate of work done by gravity on the skydiver (take g=10 ms−2).
Given: mass of skydiver, m=60 kg, displacement, s=40 m, acceleration due to gravity, g=10 ms−2, and time, t=2 s.
Let the force of free fall be F work done be W.
Using Newton's second law of motion, force:
F=ma=60×10=600 N
Work done =Force×Displacement
⇒W=F×s=600×40=24000 J
Average rate of work done =total work donetotal time taken
⇒Wt=240002=12000 W=12 kW
Therefore, the rate of work done is 12 kW