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 the bicycle resting at the top of a hill, we can use the formula for 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),
- [tex]\( g \)[/tex] is the acceleration due to gravity (in meters per second squared, m/s²),
- [tex]\( h \)[/tex] is the height of the object above the ground (in meters).

Given:
- 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 approximately 9.8 m/s².

Plug these values into the formula:

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

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

Therefore, the potential energy of the bicycle at the top of the hill is 735 Joules.