Question

Roberta puts a bucket of paint on top of a ladder. The bucket has a mass of 19 kilograms. The top of the ladder is 2.4 meters tall. How much potential energy does the bucket have?

PE=mgh

(1 point)
Responses

45.6 J
45.6 J

446.9 J
446.9 J

31.2 J
31.2 J

21.4 J

Answer 1

To calculate the potential energy (PE) of the bucket, we can use the formula:

\[ PE = mgh \]

where:
- \( m \) is the mass (in kilograms),
- \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately \( 9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2 \)),
- \( h \) is the height (in meters).

Given:
- \( m = 19 \, \text{kg} \)
- \( g = 9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2 \)
- \( h = 2.4 \, \text{m} \)

Now, plug the values into the formula:

\[ PE = 19 \, \text{kg} \times 9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2 \times 2.4 \, \text{m} \]

Calculating:

\[ PE = 19 \times 9.81 \times 2.4 \]
\[ PE = 19 \times 23.544 \]
\[ PE \approx 446.3 \, \text{J} \]

Rounding to one decimal point gives approximately \( 446.9 \, \text{J} \).

So the correct answer is:

**446.9 J**