a worker raises a load of 50 kg from the ground floor to the second floor, which is at a vertical height of 10 meters from the ground. Calculate the gravitational potential energy possessed by the load and also write where did this gravitational potential energy come from?
Answers
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Explain gravitational potential energy in terms of work done against gravity.
Show that the gravitational potential energy of an object of mass m at height h on Earth is given by PEg = mgh.
Show how knowledge of the potential energy as a function of position can be used to simplify calculations and explain physical phenomena.
Answer:
500 J
Potential energy is energy stored in an object. This energy has the potential to do work. Gravity gives potential energy to an object. This potential energy is a result of gravity pulling downwards. The gravitational constant, g, is the acceleration of an object due to gravity. This acceleration is about 10 meters per second on earth. The formula for potential energy due to gravity is PE = mgh. As the object gets closer to the ground, its potential energy decreases while its kinetic energy increases.
In this case, a body of mass 5 kg kept at a height of 10 m. So the potential energy is given as 5 * 10 *10 = 500 J.
Hence, the potential energy of a body of mass 5 kg kept at a height of 10 m is 500 J.