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Crocodile Bait

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A stunt woman for a movie1 is trying to jump a motorcycle 4 meters across a ditch and land on a special ramp 1 meter higher than her takeoff point that is built into the branch of a convenient tree. The angle of the takeoff ramp is fixed at 37.5$^\circ$. The ``plot'' of the movie requires that the ditch be filled with large, hungry crocodiles and the director is a sucker for realism. If she jumps even a bit too high, she will wreck on an overhanging branch and the crocs will dine well. If she jumps too low, she bounces back and also becomes crocodile-bait.

With what speed $v_0$ must she take off to complete the jump successfully (and live to get paid)?



Robert G. Brown 2000-12-09