Question

You are visiting Six Flags Over Texas and are riding the latest rollercoaster. The coaster, full of people (mass of 1200 kg), travels 16 meters down the first hill. How much potential energy does the coaster have?

a) 192,000 J
b) 384,000 J
c) 96,000 J
d) 48,000 J

Answer 1

The potential energy of the coaster full of people at Six Flags Over Texas is 192,000 joules, which is calculated using the formula PEg = mgh with the mass of 1200 kg and the height of 16 meters.

Step-by-step explanation:

When you are visiting Six Flags Over Texas and riding the latest rollercoaster, the coaster full of people has potential energy which is calculated based on its height above the ground. This energy, known as gravitational potential energy (PEg), is given by the formula PEg = mgh, where m is the mass of the coaster with people, g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s2), and h is the height the coaster is above the ground. In this question, the mass (m) is 1200 kg and the height (h) is 16 meters, so the potential energy can be calculated as PEg = 1200 kg * 9.8 m/s2 * 16 m = 192,000 joules (J), which corresponds to option (a).