College

What is the potential energy of a 25 kg bicycle resting at the top of a hill 3 m high?

(Formula: [tex]PE = mgh[/tex])

A. 75 J
B. 735 J
C. 245 J
D. 37.8 J

Answer :

To find the potential energy of a bicycle at the top of a hill, we can use the formula for gravitational potential energy:

[tex]\[ PE = m \cdot g \cdot h \][/tex]

Where:
- [tex]\( PE \)[/tex] is the potential energy.
- [tex]\( m \)[/tex] is the mass of the object in kilograms (kg).
- [tex]\( g \)[/tex] is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 meters per second squared, [tex]\( m/s^2 \)[/tex]).
- [tex]\( h \)[/tex] is the height of the object above the ground in meters (m).

For this problem:
- The mass ([tex]\( m \)[/tex]) of the bicycle is 25 kg.
- The height ([tex]\( h \)[/tex]) of the hill is 3 m.
- The acceleration due to gravity ([tex]\( g \)[/tex]) is 9.8 [tex]\( m/s^2 \)[/tex].

Substituting these values into the formula gives us:

[tex]\[ PE = 25 \, \text{kg} \times 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 \times 3 \, \text{m} \][/tex]

[tex]\[ PE = 735 \, \text{Joules (J)} \][/tex]

So, the potential energy of the bicycle resting at the top of the hill is 735 J.