Question

A 1.99 kg ball is attached to a ceiling by a 1.35 m long string. The height of the room is 3.27 m. The acceleration of gravity is 9.81 m/s 2 . What is the gravitational potential energy associated with the ball relative to a) the ceiling? Answer in units of J.

Answer 1

-26.35 J

Step-by-step explanation:

a) Since the ball is hanging on a 1.35m string from the ceiling, the balls height with respect to the ceiling would be -1.35m. It's negative because the ball is below the ceiling.

Let g = 9.81m/s2

Gravitational potential energy of the ball relative to the ceiling would be the product of its mass and its height relative to the ceiling and its gravitational constant g

E = mgh = 1.99 * 9.81 * (-1.35) = -26.35 J