Asked by John Doe
What is the gravitational potential energy of an object with a mass of 10 kg at a height of 5 meters above the ground?
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
The gravitational potential energy (U) of an object can be calculated using the formula:
\[
U = mgh
\]
where:
- \( m \) is the mass of the object (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 above the ground (in meters).
For the given problem:
- \( m = 10 \, \text{kg} \)
- \( g = 9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2 \)
- \( h = 5 \, \text{m} \)
Substituting these values into the formula:
\[
U = 10 \, \text{kg} \times 9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2 \times 5 \, \text{m}
\]
Calculating this:
\[
U = 10 \times 9.81 \times 5 = 490.5 \, \text{J}
\]
Thus, the gravitational potential energy of the object is \( 490.5 \, \text{Joules} \).
\[
U = mgh
\]
where:
- \( m \) is the mass of the object (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 above the ground (in meters).
For the given problem:
- \( m = 10 \, \text{kg} \)
- \( g = 9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2 \)
- \( h = 5 \, \text{m} \)
Substituting these values into the formula:
\[
U = 10 \, \text{kg} \times 9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2 \times 5 \, \text{m}
\]
Calculating this:
\[
U = 10 \times 9.81 \times 5 = 490.5 \, \text{J}
\]
Thus, the gravitational potential energy of the object is \( 490.5 \, \text{Joules} \).