Hi

Question

Hi

Can someone check and advise on this

potential energy of 2 tonne of water held 120m above a flood plain by a dam.

potential energy = 2032 kg (2 Tonne) x 9.81 ms x 120m

pe = 2392070.4 Joules

Convert to kilojoules

2392070.4 / 1000

pe = 2392 kJ (To four significant figures)

Many thanks

bobpursley · Answer

absolutely not.

You measured the height to the top of the dam, that is not where the water is. I recommend you go to the center of the dam, if you assume the cg of the water held is there. Usually, because of sloping bottom, the cg is about at the sixty percent height, but that depends on the geology of the bottom. Assume average depth of the water at 60m.
Then, PE= mgh as you did

bobpursley · Answer

Also, I am not certain where you got the 2032kg per 2 metric tons. I always used 1000kg is a metric ton.

Mark · Answer

Thanks Bob I had assumed a uk tonne at 1016 kg Mark