Compute the Potential Energy of the cool-skater-dude at the top of his run. Show your work (including units) . What is his Kinetic Energy at the top of his run? Why (you should not need to compute anything here)?
To calculate the potential energy of the cool-skater-dude at the top of his run, we can use the formula:
Potential Energy = mass x gravitational acceleration x height
Given:
mass = 60 kg
gravitational acceleration = 9.8 m/s^2
height = 5 meters
Potential Energy = 60 kg x 9.8 m/s^2 x 5 m
Potential Energy = 2940 J
Therefore, the potential energy of the cool-skater-dude at the top of his run is 2940 Joules.
At the top of his run, the cool-skater-dude's Kinetic Energy is zero because all of his energy is in the form of potential energy (as he is at the highest point of his run and not in motion). Kinetic Energy is the energy associated with an object's motion, and since the skater is stationary at the top of his run, he has no kinetic energy at that point.