Sandy is sliding helplessly across the frictionless ice with her climbing rope trailing behind (Figure). Racing after her, you get hold of her rope just as she goes over the edge of a cliff. You manage to grab a tree branch in time to keep from going over yourself. Let U = 0 for the position of Sandy dangling in midair at the other end of the rope. Snap! The branch to which you are clinging breaks. 

(a) Write an expression for the total mechanical energy of this two-body system after Sandy has fallen a distance y. 

(b) There is another tree branch 2 m closer to the cliff edge than the first. What is your speed as you reach it?

Transcribed Image Text:

- 2 m-