Lucy picks up an object from the floor. How will the potential energy change if Lucy lifts the object above her head?

Question

A. The object's potential energy will be zero.
B. The object's potential energy will stay the same.
C. The object's potential energy will increase.
D. The object's potential energy will decrease.

Answer 1

The correct answer is C. The object's potential energy will increase.

When Lucy lifts the object above her head, she is increasing its height relative to the ground. Since gravitational potential energy is calculated based on the height of an object above a reference point (usually the ground), lifting the object increases its potential energy. The formula for gravitational potential energy is:

\[ PE = mgh \]

where \( PE \) is potential energy, \( m \) is mass, \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity, and \( h \) is the height above the reference point. As the height \( h \) increases, the potential energy \( PE \) increases.

Answer 2

are you sure this is correct

Answer 3

Yes, I am sure. When Lucy lifts an object from the floor to a position above her head, she increases the height of the object relative to a reference point, typically the ground.

As mentioned, gravitational potential energy (PE) is given by the formula:

\[ PE = mgh \]

where:

• \( m \) = mass of the object,
• \( g \) = acceleration due to gravity (approximately \( 9.81 , \text{m/s}^2 \)),
• \( h \) = height of the object above a reference point.

In this scenario:

• When an object is on the floor, its height \( h \) is relatively low, leading to a lower amount of potential energy.
• As Lucy lifts the object, the height \( h \) increases, which results in an increase in potential energy.

Therefore, the potential energy of the object indeed increases when it is raised above her head, making answer C the correct choice.