Question

Read the text about a person in motion.

Florence performs stunts on movie sets. For one stunt, Florence started on the
first story of a building. She ran up a staircase until she reached the third story.
She dashed to a balcony, where she slid down a rope into an open window on
the second story of another building. She landed safely on the floor inside the
open window.
When was the least gravitational potential energy stored between Florence and Earth?
Assume that Florence's mass did not change.
when she was at the bottom of the staircase
when she was standing on the balcony
when she was on the floor inside the window

Answer 1

The least gravitational potential energy was stored when Florence was at the bottom of the staircase.

Step-by-step explanation:

The least gravitational potential energy was stored when Florence was at the bottom of the staircase. Gravitational potential energy depends on the height and mass of an object. As Florence moved higher up the staircase, her height increased and therefore the gravitational potential energy stored between her and Earth increased. When she reached the bottom of the staircase, her height was at its lowest, resulting in the least gravitational potential energy stored.

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