A post is driven into the ground by means of a blow from a pile-driver. The pile-driver falls from rest from a height of \(1.6\) m above the top of the post.
- Show that the speed of the pile-driver just before it hits the post is \(5.6\) m s\(^{-1}\). [2]
The post has mass \(6\) kg and the pile-driver has mass \(78\) kg. When the pile-driver hits the top of the post, it is assumed that the there is no rebound and that both then move together with the same speed.
- Find the speed of the pile-driver and the post immediately after the pile-driver has hit the post. [3]
The post is brought to rest by the action of a resistive force from the ground acting for \(0.06\) s.
By modelling this force as constant throughout this time,
- find the magnitude of the resistive force, [4]
- find, to 2 significant figures, the distance travelled by the post and the pile-driver before they come to rest. [4]