Answer:
4500 J
Explanation:
First, let's define some equations and derivations.
Our potential energy formula is:
Where <em>m </em>is mass (in kg), <em>g</em> is the gravitational constant (in m/s²), and <em>h</em> is height (in m).
We also know that <em>mg</em> is equal to the weight of an object (in N), from Newton's 2nd Law of Motion: F = ma (Force is equal to [constant] mass times acceleration).
Therefore, we can simply substitute force into the equation:
Where <em>F</em> is the force (in N) and <em>h</em> is still height (in m).
Now we can calculate the amount of potential energy in our system, measured in joules.
Substitute in the given variables, F = 500 N and h = 9 m:
Using simple Pre-Algebra rules, we find that:
This tells us that the we have 4500 joules of potential energy when I am 9 meters above the water on the edge of the diving board.
