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Josh and Mark are climbing a ladder on the playground. Josh is 3m up the ladder and has a mass of 50 kg the ladder and also has a mass of 50 kg. Which statement is true?

A. Mark has greater gravitational potential energy.
B .The boys have the same gravitational potential energy
C. There is not enough information given to determine which boy has more gravitational potential energy
D Josh has greater gravitational potential energy

User ATei
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Final answer:

The correct statement is C. There is not enough information given to determine which boy has more gravitational potential energy because the height of Mark on the ladder is not provided, which is needed to calculate his gravitational potential energy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves understanding gravitational potential energy in the context of physics. To determine which statement is true regarding Josh and Mark climbing a ladder, we must apply the formula for gravitational potential energy, which is given by gravitational potential energy (GPE) = mass (m) × gravity (g) × height (h). Given that Josh has a mass of 50 kg and is 3 meters up the ladder, his gravitational potential energy would be calculated as 50 kg × 9.8 m/s² (assuming standard gravity) × 3 m. Nonetheless, we lack information about Mark's height on the ladder which is essential to calculate his GPE. Therefore, the correct statement is C. There is not enough information given to determine which boy has more gravitational potential energy.

User David Waters
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