One of the events in the Scottish Highland Games is the sheaf toss, in which a 7.92-kg bag of hay is tossed straight up into the air using a pitchfork. During one throw, the sheaf is launched straight up with an initial speed of 2.79 m/s.
a) What is the impulse exerted on the sheaf by gravity during the upward motion of the sheaf (from launch to maximum height)?
b) Neglecting air resistance, what is the impulse exerted by gravity on the sheaf during its downward motion (from maximum height until it hits the ground)?
c) Using the total impulse produced by gravity, determine how long the sheaf is airborne.