Question

A skydiver jumps out of a plane and begins to accelerate. His speed increases to 20 m/s, then 30 m/s. His acceleration slows until he reaches a constant speed of 50 m/s. Which statement correctly describes his kinetic energy during this time?

Responses:
His kinetic energy increased while his speed increases, then it became constant.
His kinetic energy would remain the same for the whole fall as long as he lost no mass.
His kinetic energy was positive at first, but it decreased to zero when he stopped accelerating.
His kinetic energy increased quickly at first, then it increased at a constant rate.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

The correct statement is: His kinetic energy increased while his speed increased, then it became constant.

Kinetic energy is given by the formula: KE = (1/2)mv^2, where m is the mass of the skydiver and v is the velocity/speed. As the skydiver's speed increases from 0 to 20 m/s and then to 30 m/s, his kinetic energy also increases. However, when his acceleration slows down and he reaches a constant speed of 50 m/s, his kinetic energy remains constant.

Answer 2

His kinetic energy increased while his speed increases, then it became constant

Answer 3

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

Apologies for the confusion. The correct statement is: His kinetic energy increases while his speed increases, then it becomes constant.

As the skydiver's speed increases from 0 to 20 m/s and then to 30 m/s, his kinetic energy also increases since kinetic energy is directly proportional to the square of speed. However, when his acceleration slows down and he reaches a constant speed of 50 m/s, his kinetic energy becomes constant as well.