When a 20-pound weight is lifted 5 feet, it has 100 foot-pounds of potential energy that it did not have when it was on the ground.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The formula for potential energy is mass x gravity x height. In this case, the mass is 20 pounds, gravity is approximately 9.81 m/s^2 (32.2 ft/s^2), and the height is 5 feet. When we plug these values into the formula, we get 20 x 32.2 x 5 = 1,610 foot-pounds. Therefore, lifting a 20-pound weight 5 feet requires 1,610 foot-pounds of work, and the weight has 1,610 foot-pounds of potential energy that it did not have on the ground.

When a 20-Pound Weight Is Lifted 5 Feet, It Has