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, we can use the formula for gravitational potential energy:

[tex]\[ \text{Potential Energy (PE)} = m \times g \times h \][/tex]

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

For this problem:
- The mass [tex]\( m \)[/tex] is 25 kg (the mass of the bicycle),
- The height [tex]\( h \)[/tex] is 3 meters (the height of the hill).

Now, plug these values into the formula:

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

When you multiply these together, you get:

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

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