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The Burj Khalifa is over 630 meters in height. What can be said about the change in gravitational potential energy when an object is lifted to the top of the Burj Khalifa?

a. The change in gravitational potential energy is zero.
b. The change in gravitational potential energy is negative.
c. The change in gravitational potential energy is positive.
d. The change in gravitational potential energy depends on the mass of the object.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The change in gravitational potential energy when an object is lifted to the top of the Burj Khalifa is positive, given by the formula mgh, where m is the mass, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the increased height.

Step-by-step explanation:

When an object is lifted to the top of the Burj Khalifa, which is over 630 meters in height, the change in gravitational potential energy (GPE) is positive. This change occurs because GPE is directly proportional to the height (h) above the reference point (in this case, the ground level). The increase in GPE can be calculated using the formula mgh, where m is the mass of the object, g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s2), and h is the height the object is lifted. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is (c) The change in gravitational potential energy is positive. It is worth noting that while the magnitude of this change depends on the mass of the object, the fact that the change in GPE is positive does not depend on the mass; any object lifted to a greater height will experience an increase in GPE.

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