Question

A cat with a mass of 4.50 kilograms sits on a ledge 0.800 meters above the ground. What is the potential energy of the cat? 346 J 35.3 J 3.60 J 0.350 J

Answer 1

This is a question about converting energy from one form to another. 

While it is sitting on the ledge, it isn't moving, so at that point it doesn't have any kinetic energy. What it has is gravitational potential energy due to its height above the ground. 

Just as it lands, it's at ground level, so it doesn't have any gravitational potential energy anymore. 

The reason is that on the way down, it sped up, so all its original gravitational potential energy was turned into kinetic energy. 

So if you can work out how much potential energy it had to start with, you will know that that is how much kinetic energy it ended up with just before it landed. 

potential energy = m * g * h 
where m is the mass, g is the acceleration due to gravity and h is the height 

potential energy = 4.45 * 9.81 * 0.800 = 35.3 J 
Hope that helps. Please give me Brainlyest answer. :]

Answer 2

The correct answer to the question is 35.3 J.

CALCULATION:

The mass of the car is given as m = 4.50 kg.

The cat is 0.800 m above the ground.

Hence, height of ledge from ground h = 0.800 m.

We are asked to calculate the potential energy of the body.

The potential energy possessed by the cat at a height h is nothing else than gravitational potential energy.

The gravitational potential energy of a body at a height h is calculated as-

                         Potential energy P.E = mgh.

Here, g is the acceleration due to gravity. Its value is $9.8\ m/s^2$

Hence, the potential energy of the cat is calculated as -

                                         P.E = mgh

                                                = $4.50\times 9.8\times 0.800\ J.$

                                                =  35.28 J

                                                = 35.3 J                         [ANS]