High School

A 5.00 × 10 2 n crate is at the top of a 5.00 m long ramp, which is inclined at 20.0° with the horizontal. what is its potential energy?

Answer :

Final answer:

The potential energy of the crate at the top of the ramp is approximately 8,492.35 Joules.

Explanation:

Given:

  • Mass of the crate (m) = 500 N
  • Length of the ramp (d) = 5.00 m
  • Inclination angle (θ) = 20.0°

The potential energy (PE) of an object at a height h above the ground is given by the formula:

PE = m.g.h

where:

m is the mass of the object,

g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s² on Earth),

h is the height of the object above a reference point.

In this case, we need to find the potential energy of the crate at the top of the ramp. The height h can be calculated using trigonometry as follows:

h= d⋅sin (θ)

Substitute the given values into the equations:

h = 5.00 m × sin (20.0°)

h ≈ 5.00 m × 0.3420 ≈ 1.71 m

Now, calculate the potential energy:

PE = 500 N × 9.81 m/s² × 1.71 m ≈ 8,492.35 J