Clearing the AC Transit Bus with Breathtaking Margin of One Foot
[1]
Above is a segmented BMX bike ramp designed for serious bikers.
The top segment is raised a whopping 40° above the horizontal.
Adam, Alameda’s answer to Evel Knievel, is contemplating a jump.
Using an electrically assisted e-bike, he will jump over an AC Transit bus.
To accomplish this risky feat, he needs to loft himself and his bike 16.421 feet vertically.
The departure end of the BMX bike ramp is four feet above ground level (AGL).
Find the minimum lift off speed V, Adam needs to avoid the bus, x-rays, and an osteopath.
(NOTE: The acceleration due to gravity is 32.2 feet per second squared.)
V = ___ miles per hour
First correct answer sent to [email protected] [2] wins a gift card worth plenty of ice cream at Tucker’s Ice Cream of Alameda.
Last week [3]’s winner was Madaleine Canavese, an AHS Senior, with x = 5 meters.
Jeff Smith is a former Math teacher and a retired US Navy Lieutenant Commander. Reach him at [email protected] [2].