Question

If a hiker that weighs 600 newtons climbs a 50 meter hill, how much gravitational potential energy has the hiker gained?

Answer 1

The gravitational potential energy U is defined as the product of mass m, the acceleration of gravity g and the height of object h.

`U = mgh`

We do not have the mass of the hiker. But we know that its W weight is:

`W = mg`

Where

`g = 9.8 m/s^2`

So:

`m = (W)/(g)\\\\m = (600)/(g)`.

So:

`U = ((600)/(g))gh\\\\U = (600N)(50m)`

`U = 30000`J

The hiker has gained 30,000 J of energy