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 25 kg bicycle resting at the top of a 3 m high hill, we use the formula for potential energy:

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

where:
- [tex]\( m \)[/tex] is the mass of the bicycle (in kilograms),
- [tex]\( g \)[/tex] is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately [tex]\( 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 \)[/tex]),
- [tex]\( h \)[/tex] is the height of the hill (in meters).

Plugging in the given values:
- [tex]\( m = 25 \, \text{kg} \)[/tex]
- [tex]\( g = 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 \)[/tex]
- [tex]\( h = 3 \, \text{m} \)[/tex]

The calculation steps are:

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

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

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

The correct answer is 735 J.