The world record for the highest-altitude skydive was made by Joseph Kittinger in 1960. Kittinger jumped from a high- altitude balloon (Fig. P6.97) at a height of 102,800 ft (31,330 m) above sea level and, according to reports, attained speeds up to 624 mi/h (279 m/s) allowed by the thin air of the stratosphere. Calculate his maximum speed (i.e., neglect air drag) for his 14,500 ft (4420 m) of free fall. How does this speed compare with the reported value?

Figure P6.97

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