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
cannot be determined
b
100 J
c
980 J
d
40 J
c. 980 J
The potential energy of an object is given by the equation 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.
In this case, the mass of the bucket is 20 kg, the height of the ladder is 5 meters, and the acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s^2.
PE = (20 kg)(9.8 m/s^2)(5 m) = 980 J
Therefore, the potential energy of the bucket is 980 J.