Question

A plane is flying 200m above ground when it drops a 150 kg cargo. The cargo lands with a speed of 72 m/s. What is the potential energy of the cargo when it is dropped?

Answer 1

The potential energy of the 150 kg cargo dropped from 200m above the ground is 294000 Joules.

Step-by-step explanation:

The potential energy of the cargo when it is dropped from the plane can be calculated using the formula for gravitational potential energy, which is PE = mgh, where m is the mass in kilograms, g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s2), and h is the height above ground in meters. In this case, the mass of the cargo (m) is 150 kg, g is 9.8 m/s2, and the height (h) is 200 m.

To calculate the potential energy: PE = 150 kg * 9.8 m/s2 * 200 m = 294000 Joules (J).

Therefore, the potential energy of the cargo when dropped is 294000 J.

To determine the potential energy of the cargo when it is dropped, we need to use the formula for potential energy, which is given by PE = mgh, where m is the mass, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height. In this case, the mass of the cargo is 150 kg, the acceleration due to gravity is approximately 9.8 m/s^2, and the cargo is dropped from a height of 200 m above the ground. Using these values, we can calculate the potential energy as follows:

PE = (150 kg)(9.8 m/s^2)(200 m) = 294,000 J