A 45 kg baby brown bear climbs 12 meters up a tree to see if he can spot the best blueberry patch in the valley. What is the brown bear's potential energy?
a
10,584 J
b
2,646 J
c
63,504 J
d
5,292 J
The potential energy of an object is given by the formula PE = mgh, where m is the mass of the object, g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2), and h is the height of the object above some reference point.
Plugging in the numbers, we get:
PE = (45 kg)(9.8 m/s^2)(12 m) = 5,292 J
Therefore, the brown bear's potential energy is 5,292 J.
Answer: d) 5,292 J
To calculate the potential energy of the brown bear, we can use the formula:
Potential energy = mass × gravitational acceleration × height
Given that the mass of the brown bear is 45 kg, the height it climbs is 12 meters, and the gravitational acceleration is 9.8 m/s², we can substitute these values into the formula:
Potential energy = 45 kg × 9.8 m/s² × 12 m
Calculating this:
Potential energy = 5,292 J
Therefore, the correct answer is option d) 5,292 J.
To find the brown bear's potential energy, we can use the formula:
Potential Energy = Mass * Gravity * Height
In this case, the mass of the bear is given as 45 kg, the height is given as 12 meters, and the force of gravity is approximately 9.8 m/s^2 on the Earth.
So, let's calculate the potential energy:
Potential Energy = 45 kg * 9.8 m/s^2 * 12 m
Potential Energy = 5292 J
Therefore, the brown bear's potential energy is 5,292 J.
So, the correct answer is d) 5,292 J.