Question

You throw a 5.5 g coin straight down at 4.0 m/s from a 25-m-high bridge.

How much work does gravity do as the coin falls to the water below? Express your answer with the appropriate units. W =

Answer 1

The work done by gravity as a 5.5 g coin falls from a 25-m-high bridge is approximately 1.35 Joules.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the work done by gravity as the coin falls to the water below, you use the work-energy principle. The work done by gravity is the change in gravitational potential energy, which can be calculated using the equation W = mgh, where m is the mass of the coin, g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.81 m/s2), and h is the height from which the coin is dropped.

Plugging in the values, we get:

W = (5.5 g) * (9.81 m/s2) * (25 m).

Remember to convert the mass from grams to kilograms by dividing by 1000, giving us:

W = (0.0055 kg) * (9.81 m/s2) * (25 m).

So, the work done by gravity is:

W ≈ (0.0055 kg) * (9.81 m/s2) * (25 m) = 1.35 Joules.