Question

What is the potential energy of a 2.3g penny that is held at the top of the cn tower (553m)?

Answer 1

12.46 joules

Step-by-step explanation:

The formula of potential energy is:

`\displaystyle{E_p = mgh}`

where m is mass, g is gravitational force (9.8 m/s^2) and h is height.

• Mass is given to be 2.3 grams.
• Gravitational Force is defined as 9.8 m/s^2.
• Height is given as 553 meters.

However, mass must be in kilograms (kg) unit so we will be converting the gram to kilogram:

We know that a gram equals to 0.001 kg so 2.3 grams will equal to 2.3 * 0.001 = 0.0023 kg.

Therefore, substitute known information in the formula of potential energy:

`\displaystyle{E_p = 0.0023 * 9.8 * 553}\\\\\displaystyle{E_p = 12.46 \ \, \sf{Joules}}`

Therefore, the potential energy is 12.46 joules.