Final answer:
The potential energy of a 78-kg refrigerator located on the 60th floor of a skyscraper (280 meters above ground) is 213,747.6 J. This calculation utilizes the formula for potential energy (PE = mgh) and is comparable to determining a car's potential energy at the top of a parking garage.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the potential energy of a 78-kg refrigerator located on the 60th floor of a skyscraper (280 meters above ground), we can use the formula PE = mgh, where PE is the potential energy, m is the mass, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height above ground. Using the given values, the potential energy (PE) is PE = 78 kg * 9.81 m/s² * 280 m.
By carrying out this calculation, PE = 78 kg * 9.81 m/s² * 280 m = 213,747.6 J (joules). Therefore, the potential energy of the refrigerator is 213,747.6 J.
This example is similar to calculating the potential energy of a car on top of a parking garage, where the potential energy is equivalent to the work required to raise the vehicle from the street level to the parking garage's height, and the units of potential energy are the same as those of kinetic energy.