What is the hang time of an athlete who jumps straight up 0.6m?

To determine the hang time of an athlete who jumps straight up to a height of 0.6 meters, we can use kinematic equations from physics.

When an athlete jumps vertically, they accelerate upwards until they reach their maximum height. At that point, their velocity is temporarily zero before they begin to fall back down. The time it takes to reach the maximum height can be calculated with the following kinematic equation:

[ h = v_i t + \frac{1}{2} a t^2 ]

Where:

• ( h ) is the height (0.6 m).
• ( v_i ) is the initial velocity.
• ( a ) is the acceleration (due to gravity, which is approximately -9.81 m/s², acting downwards).
• ( t ) is the time to reach the maximum height.

Instead of solving for the initial velocity first, we can use another form of the kinematic equations that relates height and initial velocity when the upward final velocity is zero:

[ v^2 = v_i^2 + 2a h ]

Setting ( v = 0 ) at the maximum height, we get:

[ 0 = v_i^2 + 2(-