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Today Puzzle #526

Puzzle No. 526 – Thursday 18 July

50 years ago Neil Armstrong was en route to the moon. If he can jump 50cm vertically in his suit on earth, assuming he uses the same amount of energy what distance will he reach on the moon given gravity is only 1/6th as strong there?

Today’s #PuzzleForToday has been set by Dr Shaun Fitzgerald, Director of The Royal Institution

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The change in gravitational potential energy is given by m x g x d, where m is mass, g the acceleration due to gravity and d the vertical distance. At the top of the jump Neil is stationary so there is no kinetic energy. Given the mass is the same but the acceleration due to gravity is 1/6 that on earth, the distance is 6 times greater, i.e. 3m.

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