Mrs. Wade puts a bucket of paint on top of a ladder. The bucket has a mass of 20 kg. The top of the ladder is 5 meters tall. How much potential energy does the bucket have?
a
40 J
b
980 J
c
cannot be determined
d
100 J
The potential energy of an object can be calculated using the formula PE = mgh, where m is the mass of the object, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height of the object.
In this case, the mass of the bucket is given as 20 kg and the height of the ladder is given as 5 meters.
Potential energy = (20 kg)(9.8 m/s^2)(5 m)
Potential energy = 980 J
Therefore, the bucket has 980 J of potential energy.
The correct answer is b) 980 J.