Question

When an athlete takes part in a long jump he runs for a while and then jumps. This is because:
A. inertia of motion helps him to take a long jump
B. running for a time makes him alert
C. it helps him to focus on the point of the jump
D. he can apply more force for the jump after running

Answer 1

Hint: The answer to this question lies in the concept of Newton's first law of motion and the momentum concept. And mathematically we can find the answer using the law of conservation of energy.

Complete answer:
Without a proper combination of kinetic energy and potential energy, an athlete cannot cover the maximum distance while jumping. To gain the perfect momentum, the athlete must have the required understanding of his body’s kinetic energy and potential energy.

If we look at the formula for kinetic energy, \[\dfrac{1}{2}m{{v}^{2}}\], where mass, $m$ is constant and to gain more kinetic energy, the athlete has to increase his velocity, $v$ so he tries to do that by running from far away.

This way, the athlete gains the perfect potential energy when he takes off from the launch pad. And this potential energy is gained with the help of the law of conservation of energy where kinetic energy is converted to potential energy.

Therefore the correct answer is option A.

Note: The same concept is also used by football players when they take a penalty or a free-kick. If you look closely, they will try to match the distance of running and transfer it to the feet while kicking.