Physics and skiing

you sir, are not smart enough.


And I doubt anyone without a physics degree can solve the problem of exact speed without some help. Here are a few of the necessities:

1. Friction coefficient between snow and skis
2. Total area of skis to snow contact
3. Velocity
4. Exact angle of the jump
5. Air drag coefficient
6. Mass of the skier
7. Specific gravity at a particular elevation

Yeah.

and yes, I took Physics in college and a class in Fluids (e.g. how air moves over objects). I must say i am nerd, and drag coefficients and boundary layers are fascinating

We did this exact problem in Physics, with a little skiier, going down a hill and hitting a jump. But we didn't account for friction or wind resistance... too bad I threw out my notes. haha oops!

you don't need all the shit to hit a 100 foot long landing. I was just saying that with about 5 minutes of figuring dumont wouldn't have fractured his pelvis.

1. Friction coefficient between snow and skis
doesnt matter if you're being towed because you don't slow down that when you hit the jump.

2. Total area of skis to snow contact
once again doesnt matter

3. Velocity
snowmobiles have speedometers or they could use a radar gun

4. Exact angle of the jump
it doesnt have to be that exact. A few degrees won't matter

5. Air drag coefficient
its just a rough estimate, not a space shuttle.

6. Mass of the skier
mass is negligable when you aren't dealing with friction

7. Specific gravity at a particular elevation
come on gravity is pretty much 9.8 m/s/s everywhere near earth. Not different enough for it to matter anyway.

So I guess for an EXACT computer simulation you would need to know EVERYTHING but you don't for something thats simply giving you an idea of how fast to go so you're not just hucking yourself.

I said to be exact. In physics and higher math, approximations are about as valuable as sand in the Sahara. When I do calculations I want to be exact.

I do agree with you that you only need a couple of variables to prevent from overshooting something by 100 feet. I was assuming one wanted to know within a foot where he or she would land.