Question

read the text about a person in motion. hunter stood in the center of the highest diving board at a public pool. he stared at the water far below him and then decided he did not want to jump. so, he climbed carefully down the ladder. he walked across the flat deck to the side of the pool. then, he sat down and dipped his feet in the water. when was the least gravitational potential energy stored between hunter and earth? assume that hunter’s mass did not change. when he decided that he did not want to jump off the diving board when he started climbing carefully down the ladder when he was sitting on the side of the pool

Explanation:

Step1: Recall gravitational - potential energy formula

The formula for gravitational potential energy is $U = mgh$, where $m$ is mass, $g$ is the acceleration due to gravity, and $h$ is the height above the ground (or a reference level). Given that $m$ and $g$ are constant here, $U$ depends only on $h$.

Step2: Analyze height at different times

When Hunter is on the highest diving - board, his height $h$ is the greatest, so his gravitational potential energy is high. When he starts climbing down the ladder, his height $h$ decreases but is still above the ground level. When he is sitting on the side of the pool, his height $h$ is the lowest among the given situations. Since $U = mgh$ and $m$ and $g$ are constant, the lower the $h$, the lower the $U$.

Answer:

when he was sitting on the side of the pool