You are climbing to the top of a cliff. There is a multi-pitch climbing route th

Question

You are climbing to the top of a cliff. There is a multi-pitch climbing route that ascends straight up the side, which will take you directly to the top. The total distance traveled will be 500 meters. However, you have a friend that is afraid of heights and she has refused to do any rock climbing, save one condition; she wants to get to the top doing the least work possible. You see on the map that there is another route that winds around the mountain in multiple switchbacks. The total trail distance to the top is 3500 meters, or 3.5 km. Ignoring friction, which trail will result in the least amount of work?

Explanation / Answer

They will both do the same amount of work since W=PE=mgh, since they are going up the same height they will perform equal amounts of work.

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