Question

Practice:

Now it is your turn to try calculating potential and kinetic energy. Don't forget to keep track of the units!

1.

Determine the amount of potential energy of a 5.0-N book that is moved to three different shelves on a

bookcase. The height of each shelf is 1.0 m, 1.5 m, and 2.0 m.

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

The potential energy of an object is given by the formula PE = mgh, where m is the mass of the object, g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.81 m/s^2), and h is the height of the object above some reference point.

In this case, we are given that the book has a weight of 5.0 N. Since weight is the force exerted on an object due to gravity, we can use the formula F = mg to find the mass of the book:

m = F/g = 5.0 N / 9.81 m/s^2 = 0.51 kg

Now we can calculate the potential energy of the book on each shelf:

At a height of 1.0 m:

PE = mgh = (0.51 kg)(9.81 m/s^2)(1.0 m) = 5.0 J

At a height of 1.5 m:

PE = mgh = (0.51 kg)(9.81 m/s^2)(1.5 m) = 7.4 J

At a height of 2.0 m:

PE = mgh = (0.51 kg)(9.81 m/s^2)(2.0 m) = 9.8 J

Therefore, the potential energy of the 5.0-N book is 5.0 J on the first shelf, 7.4 J on the second shelf, and 9.8 J on the third shelf.