A body of mass 50kg runs up a set of steps of total height 3.0m find the work done against gravity

1 answer

To find the work done against gravity when a body of mass \( m \) elevates to a height \( h \), we use the formula for gravitational potential energy, which is given by:

\[ W = mgh \]

where:

  • \( W \) is the work done against gravity (in joules),
  • \( m \) is the mass of the body (in kilograms),
  • \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately \( 9.81 , \text{m/s}^2 \) on the surface of the Earth),
  • \( h \) is the height (in meters).

Given:

  • \( m = 50 , \text{kg} \)
  • \( h = 3.0 , \text{m} \)
  • \( g = 9.81 , \text{m/s}^2 \)

Now, we can substitute these values into the formula:

\[ W = 50 , \text{kg} \times 9.81 , \text{m/s}^2 \times 3.0 , \text{m} \]

Calculating the work done:

\[ W = 50 \times 9.81 \times 3.0 = 1471.5 , \text{J} \]

Thus, the work done against gravity is 1471.5 joules.