Question

A 20-kilogram anvil is held at a height of 3 meters above the ground. What is the potential energy of the anvil at that point?

Answer 1

The potential energy of an object with respect to the ground is given by:

`U=mgh`
where m is the mass of the object, g is the gravitational acceleration, and h is the height of the object with respect to the ground.

In this problem, the mass of the anvil is m=20 kg and the height above the ground is h=3 m, therefore the potential energy of the anvil is

`U=mgh=(20 kg)(9.81 m/s^2)(3 m)=588.6 J`