You and your friend,who weighs the same as you,want to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower.Your friend takes the elevator straight up.You decide to walk up the spiral stairway,taking longer to do so.Compare the gravitational potential energy of you and your friend,after you both reach the top.
A)It is impossible to tell,since the times you both took are unknown.
B)It is impossible to tell,since the distances you both traveled are unknown.
C)Your friend's gravitational potential energy is greater than yours,because he got to the top faster.
D)Both of you have the same amount of gravitational potential energy at the top.
E)Your gravitational potential energy is greater than that of your friend,because you traveled a greater distance in getting to the top.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Both you and your friend have the same mass and both have reached the same height, so the gravitational potential energy is the same for both of you. The time taken or the distance travelled does not affect the gravitational potential energy.

You and Your Friend,who Weighs the Same as You,want to Go