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A pirate captain forces a prisoner to walk the plank. As the prisoner is walking, they have 50J of kinetic energy. The potential energy from being so high above the water is 100 times greater than the kinetic energy. What is the prisoner's mechanical energy?

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Answer:

The prisoner's mechanical energy is 5050 J.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mechanical energy of an object is the sum of its kinetic energy and potential energy. In this scenario, we are given that the kinetic energy of the prisoner is 50 J, and the potential energy from being high above the water is 100 times greater than the kinetic energy.

Let's denote the potential energy as PE. According to the information given:

PE = 100 * Kinetic Energy

= 100 * 50 J

= 5000 J

The mechanical energy (ME) is the sum of the kinetic energy (KE) and potential energy (PE):

ME = KE + PE

= 50 J + 5000 J

= 5050 J

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