Question

1. how much energy is there in each one of these scenarios? (remember to use si units when using physics formulas)

scenarios
a person in a 3rd floor
a basketball 1m above the ground
a roller coaster wagon 20m above the ground
a plant pot in a 6th floor
mass
70 kg
600g
1000 kg
2 kg
height
10m
1m
20m
20m
potential energy $e_p = mgh$
$e_p = mgh = 70 \cdot 9.8 \cdot 10 = 6860$
$e_p =$
$e_p =$
$e_p =$

Explanation:

Step1: Convert mass to SI units

For the basketball: $600\ \text{g} = 0.6\ \text{kg}$

Step2: Calculate potential energy for each scenario

Use formula $E_p = mgh$, take $g=9.8\ \text{m/s}^2$

1. Person: $E_p = 70 \times 9.8 \times 10$
2. Basketball: $E_p = 0.6 \times 9.8 \times 1$
3. Roller coaster: $E_p = 1000 \times 9.8 \times 20$
4. Plant pot: $E_p = 2 \times 9.8 \times 20$

Answer:

1. Person: $6860\ \text{J}$
2. Basketball: $5.88\ \text{J}$
3. Roller coaster: $196000\ \text{J}$
4. Plant pot: $392\ \text{J}$