A 10 kg object falls freely from a height of 20 m. What is its potential energy
Practice Questions
Q1
A 10 kg object falls freely from a height of 20 m. What is its potential energy at the top?
100 J
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400 J
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
A 10 kg object falls freely from a height of 20 m. What is its potential energy at the top?
Step 1: Identify the mass of the object. In this case, the mass (m) is 10 kg.
Step 2: Identify the height from which the object is falling. Here, the height (h) is 20 m.
Step 3: Identify the acceleration due to gravity. This is approximately 9.8 m/s².
Step 4: Use the formula for potential energy (PE), which is PE = mgh.
Step 5: Substitute the values into the formula: PE = 10 kg * 9.8 m/s² * 20 m.
Step 6: Calculate the potential energy: PE = 10 * 9.8 * 20 = 1960 J.
Potential Energy – Potential energy (PE) is the energy stored in an object due to its position in a gravitational field, calculated using the formula PE = mgh, where m is mass, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is height.