Question

Basilisk lizards can run on water by slapping their feet against the water surface very rapidly. Each step provides sufficient impulse in the vertical direction to maintain their height above the water. If a basilisk's mass is 90 grams and it takes 4 steps per second, what is the vertical impulse the basilisk recieves with each step in N-s?

Answer 1

Answer:

$I=0.2205kgm/s$

Explanation:

On each step the basilisk must provide an upward force that counters its weight, which is equal to W=mg. Since there are 4 steps in a given second, each step is performed every 0.25 seconds, so the impulse that each of the basilisk's steps provides will be $I=F\Delta t=W\Delta t=mg\Delta t=(0.090kg)(9.8m/s^2)(0.25s)=0.2205kgm/s$