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ERIC Number: EJ1004674
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Feb
Pages: 2
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0031-921X
EISSN: N/A
Optimal Ski Jump
Rebilas, Krzysztof
Physics Teacher, v51 n2 p108-109 Feb 2013
Consider a skier who goes down a takeoff ramp, attains a speed "V", and jumps, attempting to land as far as possible down the hill below (Fig. 1). At the moment of takeoff the angle between the skier's velocity and the horizontal is [alpha]. What is the optimal angle [alpha] that makes the jump the longest possible for the fixed magnitude of the velocity "V"? Of course, in practice, this is a very sophisticated problem; the skier's range depends on a variety of complex factors in addition to "V" and [alpha]. However, if we ignore these and assume the jumper is in free fall between the takeoff ramp and the landing point below, the problem becomes an exercise in kinematics that is suitable for introductory-level students. The solution is presented here. (Contains 3 figures.)
American Association of Physics Teachers. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740. Tel: 301-209-3300; Fax: 301-209-0845; e-mail: pubs@aapt.org; Web site: http://scitation.aip.org/tpt
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A