Final answer:
The person's mass can be calculated using the formula for gravitational potential energy GPE = mgh. With the given GPE of 5500 J and the height of 20 meters, the person's mass is approximately 28.06 kg.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the mass of the person using the given gravitational potential energy (GPE),
we can use the formula for GPE, which is GPE = mgh, where m is mass in kilograms, g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s² on Earth), and h is the height in meters.
We're given that GPE is 5500 J and the height (h) is 20 meters. Rearranging the formula to solve for m, we get m = GPE / (gh).
Plugging in the known values, we get m = 5500 J / (9.8 m/s² × 20 m) which simplifies to m = 5500 J / (196 J/kg), resulting in m ≈ 28.06 kg.