A basket of oranges sits on a table. The basket has 58.6 J of gravitational Potential Energy and the table is 1.25 m high. What is the mass of the basket?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Potential Energy is the energy that is stored in some way. For example chemical bonds store energy. The energy due to their position in a gravitational field, i.e. are very high off the ground, is gravitational potential energy. The formula for gravitational potential energy is PE = mgh PE = potential energy (measured in Joules - J) m = mass (measure in kilograms - kg) g = gravitational acceleration (- 9.8 m/s²) h = height of the object (measured in meters - m) To find mass we must isolate it by dividing both sides by gh. PE / gh = mgh / gh PE / gh = m The PE of the basket is 58.6 J The gravitational constant for Earth is 9.81 m/s² The height of the table is 1.25m Mass = 58.6 / (9.81 m/s² x 1.25m) = 4.778 kg which is about 4.78 kg

A Basket of Oranges Sits on a Table