The Power of Gravitational Potential Energy
How can we calculate the gravitational potential energy of an object?
A pear is hanging from a pear tree. The pear is 3.5m above the ground and has a mass of 0.14 kg. What is the pear's gravitational potential energy?
Calculation of Gravitational Potential Energy
The gravitational potential energy of an object can be calculated using the formula: gravitational potential energy = mgh. Where m is the mass of the object, g is the gravitational field strength (approximately 10 m/s^2 near the surface of the Earth), and h is the height of the object above a reference point.
Given data:Mass (m) = 0.14 kg
Height (h) = 3.5 m
Calculation:Gravitational potential energy = 0.14 kg × 10 m/s^2 × 3.5 m = 4.9 Joules
Therefore, the gravitational potential energy of the pear hanging from the pear tree is 4.9 Joules.