A 5 kg rock and a 10 kg rock are dropped from a height of 10 m. Which of the following statements describes what happens to the potential energy of the rocks?
A)Neither rock loses potential energy because no work is done on the rocks.
B)Both rocks lose the same amount of potential energy because they fall from the same height.
C)The 10 kg rock loses more potential energy than the 5 kg rock because the 10 kg rock falls faster.
D)The 10 kg rock loses more potential energy than the 5 kg rock because the 10 kg rock has more mass.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The potential energy of an object is given by the formula PE = mgh, where m is mass, g is gravitational acceleration, and h is height. Since the 10 kg rock has more mass, it has more potential energy initially and thus loses more potential energy when it falls.

A 5 Kg Rock and a 10 Kg Rock Are