Question

Find the change in gravitational potential energy of the following a) A box of mass 10kg which is raised 1.6 meters vertically

Answer 1

We are asked to determine the change in gravitational potential energy. To do that we will use the following formula:

$\Delta U=mg\Delta h$

Where:

$\begin{gathered} \Delta U=\text{ change in potential energy} \\ m=\text{ mass} \\ g=\text{ acceleration of gravity} \\ \Delta h=\text{ change in height} \end{gathered}$

The change in height is the distance that the object is raised. Therefore, plugging in the values we get:

$\Delta U=(10kg)(9.8\frac{m}{s^2})(1.6m)$

Solving the operations:

$\Delta U=156.8J$

Therefore, the change in gravitational potential energy is 156.8 Joules.