Question

ms. dearinwaster wanted to drop a 0.5kg water balloon on a students head as they arrived to school. she stood on the roof and held the balloon a total of 4.2 meters above the ground, waiting patiently. how much potential energy did the balloon have? m = ____ g = __ h = __ pe = ____

Explanation:

Step1: Identify the formula

The formula for gravitational - potential energy is $PE = mgh$, where $m$ is the mass, $g$ is the acceleration due to gravity ($g = 9.8\ m/s^{2}$ on Earth), and $h$ is the height.

Step2: Identify the given values

$m = 0.5\ kg$, $h=4.2\ m$, $g = 9.8\ m/s^{2}$.

Step3: Substitute values into the formula

$PE=mgh=(0.5\ kg)\times(9.8\ m/s^{2})\times(4.2\ m)$.

Step4: Calculate the result

$PE = 0.5\times9.8\times4.2=20.58\ J$.

Answer:

$20.58\ J$