A child sits at the top of a slide. The child has a mass of 54 kg and has 1380 J of potential Energy. What is the height of the slide?

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 we must isolate it by deviding both sides by mg. PE / mg = mgh / mg PE / mg = h The mass of the person is 54 kg The gravitational constant for Earth is 9.81 m/s² The PE of the child is 1380 J h = 1380 J /(54 kg x 9.81 m/s² ) = 2.6 m

A Child Sits at the Top of a Slide