Final answer:
A child sliding down a playground slide at constant speed experiences transformation of gravitational potential energy to kinetic energy and thermal energy due to friction. The constant speed indicates the presence of friction, which converts some of the potential energy into heat. If the slide is 3 meters high and the child weighs 300 N, their potential energy at the top would be 900 J.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves a child sliding down a playground slide and is related to the transformation of energy. Since the child slides at a constant speed, there is a balance between gravitational potential energy (Ug), kinetic energy (K) and thermal energy due to friction (Eth). When the child is at the top of the slide, they have maximum potential energy, and as they slide down, this potential energy is being converted into kinetic energy. Since the question states that the speed is constant, some of the potential energy must also be converting to thermal energy due to the friction between the slide and the child, which prevents acceleration.
Using the given practice problem, we can calculate the child's potential energy (PE) at the top of the slide as PE = mgh, where m is the mass of the child, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height of the slide. With the weight of the child given as 300 N and gravity approximated to 10 m/s², the height of the slide being 3 m, the potential energy can be calculated as PE = (300 N/10 m/s²) × 10 m/s² × 3 m = 900 J.