Question

read the text about an object in motion. shelbys favorite painting was hanging on her living room wall. during a small earthquake, her house shook, causing the painting to fall to the floor. after the earthquake, shelby cleaned up her apartment. she picked up the painting off the floor and put it back on the wall. when was the least gravitational potential energy stored between the painting and earth? assume that the paintings mass did not change. when the painting was hanging up right before the earthquake when the painting was about to be picked up after the earthquake when the painting was back on the wall after the earthquake

Explanation:

Step1: Recall gravitational - potential energy formula

The gravitational - potential energy formula is $U = mgh$, where $m$ is the mass, $g$ is the acceleration due to gravity, and $h$ is the height above the ground. Given that $m$ and $g$ are constant in this case, the gravitational - potential energy depends only on the height $h$.

Step2: Analyze heights in different situations

When the painting was hanging on the wall before the earthquake, it had a non - zero height above the floor. When the painting was back on the wall after the earthquake, it also had a non - zero height above the floor. But when the painting was about to be picked up off the floor after the earthquake, its height $h$ above the ground (floor) was the smallest. Since $U = mgh$ and $m$ and $g$ are constant, the smallest $h$ gives the least gravitational potential energy.

Answer:

when the painting was about to be picked up after the earthquake