Question

A diver with a mass of 70.0 kg stands motionless at the top of a diving platform 3.0 m high. The diver’s initial vertical speed is zero. What is the diver’s potential energy relative to the water surface?

Answer 1

The answer is 2,058J.

You can solve for the potential energy using the formula:


`PE=mgh`

Where:
PE= potential energy
m= mass
g= 9.8m/s² (This is constant. This is acceleration due to gravity because the diver is positioned above the surface of the Earth.)
h= height

The given in your problem are the following:
m = 70kg
h = 3.0 m
g = 9.8m/s² (Again this is constant)

Just plug in your given in the formula and solve:

`PE=mgh`

`=(70kg)(9.8m/s^(2))(3.0m)`

`=2,058kg.m^(2)/s^(2) or 2,058J`