how much gravitational potential energy would a 1-kg ball have when it is initially released 2 meters above the ground?
To calculate the gravitational potential energy of an object, you need two important pieces of information: the mass of the object and its height above the ground.
In this case, you have a 1-kg ball and it is initially released 2 meters above the ground. The formula to calculate the gravitational potential energy is:
Gravitational potential energy (GPE) = mass × gravity × height
Here, the mass of the ball is 1 kg, the value for gravity is approximately 9.8 m/s², and the height is 2 meters.
Now, let's plug in these values into the formula:
GPE = 1 kg × 9.8 m/s² × 2 meters
Calculating further:
GPE = 19.6 Joules
So, a 1-kg ball released from a height of 2 meters would have approximately 19.6 Joules of gravitational potential energy.