Calculate the change in potential energy of 7.8 million kg of water dropping 50 m over Niagara Falls.
m*g*h = 7.8*10^6 * 9.8 * 50 Joules
6777
To calculate the change in potential energy, we can use the formula:
ΔPE = m * g * h
Where:
ΔPE is the change in potential energy
m is the mass of the object (in this case, water)
g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s²)
h is the height (or distance) the object has fallen
Given:
m = 7.8 million kg
h = 50 m
g = 9.8 m/s²
Now, substitute these values into the formula to calculate the change in potential energy:
ΔPE = (7.8 million kg) * (9.8 m/s²) * (50 m)
First, let's convert 7.8 million kg to standard form:
7.8 million kg = 7,800,000 kg
Now, calculating the change in potential energy:
ΔPE = (7,800,000 kg) * (9.8 m/s²) * (50 m)
ΔPE = 3,822,000,000 J
So, the change in potential energy of 7.8 million kg of water dropping 50 m over Niagara Falls is approximately 3,822,000,000 Joules.