The world record for pole vaulting is 6.15 m. If the vaulters mass was 83.5 kg, how
much potential energy did he have at the top of the jump?
U = m g h = 83.5 * 9.81 * 6.5
assuming on earth.
To determine the potential energy of the vaulter at the top of the jump, we need to use the formula:
Potential energy = mass * gravity * height
Given:
Height = 6.15 m
Mass = 83.5 kg
Gravity = 9.8 m/s^2 (acceleration due to gravity on Earth)
Substituting these values into the formula, we get:
Potential energy = 83.5 kg * 9.8 m/s^2 * 6.15 m
Simplifying the equation, we have:
Potential energy = 5106.57 kg*m^2/s^2
Since the unit of potential energy is Joules (J), we can conclude that at the top of the jump, the vaulter had approximately 5106.57 Joules of potential energy.
To calculate the potential energy, we need to know the height and mass of the vaulter. Given that the world record for pole vaulting is 6.15 m and the vaulter's mass is 83.5 kg, we can use the equation for potential energy:
Potential Energy (PE) = mass (m) × gravity (g) × height (h)
The standard value for gravity is approximately 9.8 m/s².
So, substituting the given values into the equation:
PE = 83.5 kg × 9.8 m/s² × 6.15 m
Calculating the potential energy:
PE = 4,890.81 Joules (rounded to two decimal places)
Therefore, the vaulter had approximately 4,890.81 Joules of potential energy at the top of the jump.