A roller-coaster car is at the top of a hill. The car and its passengers have a combined mass of 1,088 kilograms. If the hill is 62 meters tall, how much potential energy does the car have? PE = mgh
Potential energy (PE) = mass (m) x gravity (g) x height (h)
Given:
mass (m) = 1,088 kilograms
gravity (g) = 9.8 meters/second^2
height (h) = 62 meters
Using the formula:
PE = 1,088 kg x 9.8 m/s^2 x 62 m
PE = 64,041.6 Joules
Therefore, the roller coaster car has 64,041.6 Joules of potential energy at the top of the hill.