Question

A stone weighing 1.5 kilograms is resting on a rock at a height of 20 meters above the ground. The stone rolls down 10 meters and comes to rest on a patch of moss. The gravitational potential energy of the stone on the moss is joules. (Use PE = m × g × h, where g = 9.8 N/kg.)

Answer 1

The potential energy of the moss at its position is 147 Joules. 

Answer 2

Given that the equation for the potential energy of an object is: PE = mgh, where, m is the mass of the object, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height of the object above the ground, simply substitute the given values to obtain the potential energy. In this case, m = 1.5 kg, g = 9.8 N/kg, and h = 10 m. The height is set to 10 m since this is the height of the moss above the ground after it fell. Thus, the potential energy of the moss at its position is 147 Joules.