Kanji dam is about 50m high(1) calculate the potential energy of 25kg of water at the top relative to the bottom (2) what is kinetic energy of this water just before it reaches bottom
Given:
Height of dam (h) = 50m
Mass of water (m) = 25kg
Acceleration due to gravity (g) = 9.8 m/s^2
(1) Potential Energy (PE) = mgh
PE = 25kg * 9.8 m/s^2 * 50m
PE = 12,250 Joules
(2) Kinetic Energy (KE) = 1/2 * m * v^2
Since the water is at the top of the dam, its potential energy is maximized and its kinetic energy is zero. Therefore, all the potential energy will convert to kinetic energy when the water reaches the bottom.
KE = PE
KE = 12,250 Joules
So, the kinetic energy of the water just before it reaches the bottom is 12,250 Joules.