The gravitational potential energy (PE) of an object can be calculated using the formula:
\[ PE = mgh \]
where:
- \( m \) is the mass of the object (in kg),
- \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity (in m/s²),
- \( h \) is the height above the ground (in m).
Given:
- \( m = 5 , \text{kg} \)
- \( g = 9.8 , \text{m/s}² \)
- \( h = 10 , \text{m} \)
Now, substituting the values into the formula:
\[ PE = 5 , \text{kg} \times 9.8 , \text{m/s}² \times 10 , \text{m} \]
\[ PE = 5 \times 9.8 \times 10 = 490 , \text{joules} \]
Therefore, the magnitude of the initial gravitational potential energy of the object is 490 joules.
2 answers