Question

7. A 500 g ball is about to roll off the edge of a 1. 5 m tall table. What is its current gravitational potential energy?

Answer 1

Answer: 7.35 Joules (7.35J)

Step-by-step explanation:

Gravitational potential energy is defined to be the "stored" energy in the gravitational field. Since the force of gravity is conservative, the reference point for our zero potential does not matter. For simplicity, the zero reference point will be the floor which the table is sitting on. Gravitational potential energy is denoted as a capital 'U' and is defined to be:

`U=mgh`

The 'm' is the mass, the 'g' is the acceleration due to the gravitational field, and the 'h' is the vertical height from the reference point. Plugging in the given values, you get:

`U=(0.5kg)(9.8m/s^2)(1.5m)`

`U=7.35J`

The SI units for mass is always the kilogram. So, you need to convert the grams into kilograms using the conversion factor of 1000g = 1kg.