Question

A 2 kg ball is held above the ground with a potential energy of 59 J. At what height is it held?

3 m
14 m
29 m
0 37 m

Answer 1

Answer: A

Step-by-step explanation:

Gravitational potential energy is defined as the stored energy in the gravitational field. The reference point at which we define a zero potential is completely arbitrary, which means it does not matter where our zero potential is. For simplicity, lets define our zero potential to be on the ground. The formula for gravitation potential energy is denoted with a capital 'U' and defined to be:

`U=mgh`

The 'm' is the mass of the object, the 'g' is the acceleration due to the gravitational force, and the 'h' is the displacement from our reference point. The ball has a mass of 2kg, the total potential energy is 59J, and the gravitational acceleration is 9.8m/s^2. Plugging this in:

`59=(2)(9.8)(h)`

`h=59/19.6=3m`