question: Downhill skiiers gain little advantage from a running start because the initial kinetic energy is small compared with the gain in what other energy form?
distractor3: thermal energy
distractor1: gravitational kinetic energy
distractor2: chemical energy
correct_answer: gravitational potential energy
support: In a downhill ski race, surprisingly, little advantage is gained by getting a running start. (This is because the initial kinetic energy is small compared with the gain in gravitational potential energy on even small hills. ) To demonstrate this, find the final speed and the time taken for a skier who skies 70.0 m along a 30º slope neglecting friction: (a) Starting from rest. (b) Starting with an initial speed of 2.50 m/s. (c) Does the answer surprise you? Discuss why it is still advantageous to get a running start in very competitive events.