High School

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 resting at the top of a hill, you can use the formula for gravitational potential energy:

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

Where:
- [tex]\( PE \)[/tex] is the potential energy,
- [tex]\( m \)[/tex] is the mass of the object,
- [tex]\( g \)[/tex] is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately [tex]\( 9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2 \)[/tex] on Earth),
- [tex]\( h \)[/tex] is the height.

Now, let's plug in the given values:
- The mass [tex]\( m \)[/tex] of the bicycle is [tex]\( 25 \, \text{kg} \)[/tex],
- The height [tex]\( h \)[/tex] of the hill is [tex]\( 3 \, \text{m} \)[/tex].

Substitute the values into the formula:

[tex]\[ PE = 25 \, \text{kg} \times 9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2 \times 3 \, \text{m} \][/tex]

[tex]\[ PE = 735.75 \, \text{Joules} \][/tex]

Therefore, the potential energy of the bicycle is approximately 735.75 J. The closest answer choice to this result is 735 J.