Question

When you ride a bicycle at constant speed, nearly all the energy you expend goes into the work you do against the drag force of the air. Model a cyclist as having cross-section area 0.40 m2 and, because the human body is not aerodynamically shaped, a drag coefficient of 0.90.
What is the cyclist's power output while riding at a steady 7.3 m/s?

Answer 1

Answer:

Power output = 96.506 watts

Explanation:

Drag coefficient (Cd) = 0.9

V = 7.3 m/s

Air density (ρ) = 1.225 kg/m^(3)

Area (A) = 0.45 m^2

Let's find the drag force ;

Fd=(1/2)(Cd)(ρ)(A)(v^(2))

So Fd = (1/2)(0.9)(1.225)(0.45)(7.3^(2)) = 13.22N

Drag power = Drag Force x Drag velocity.

Thus drag power, = 13.22 x 7.3 = 96.506 watts