The Thrilling Cliff Divers of Acapulco, Mexico
How fast are the cliff divers going when they hit the water in Acapulco, Mexico?
Calculating the Velocity of Cliff Divers
The speed of an object in free fall can be determined using the equation v = √(2gh), where v is the velocity, g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s²), and h is the height of the cliff. In this case, the height of the cliff is 34.2 meters. By substituting the values into the equation, we can calculate the speed at which the cliff divers hit the water. The neglect of air resistance assumes that the only force acting on the divers is gravity.
Therefore, the velocity of the cliff divers when they hit the water can be calculated as follows:
v = √(2 * 9.8 * 34.2)
v = √(668.04)
v ≈ 25.84 m/s