Calculation of Gravitational Potential Energy

Gravitational potential energy is measured in units of Joules (J) and calculated using the following formula:

Ep = mgh

Ep=Gravitational potential energy

m= mass (kg)
g= gravity 9.8 m/s2
h= height (m)

Complete the following questions.

11. A ball is sitting on a stool 2m from the ground. Calculate the Gravitational Potential Energy?

12. A car drives up a hill and stops at the top of the hill. The hill is 1000m from normal ground level.
What is the gravitational potential energy?

13. A car drives down the hill and stops halfway on the slope. What would the gravitational potential
energy?

14. A skydiver is about to jump out of an aeroplane that is at an altitude 10 000 m. What is the
skydiver’s gravitational potential energy?
Calculating Kinetic Energy

Kinetic Energy is energy due to movement and is measured in Joules (J).

If something is moving, then it has Kinetic energy. The following formula can be used to calculate KE:

Ek = ½ mv2

Ek=Kinetic Energy
m=mass (Kg)
v=velocity (m/s)

Do the following questions.

7. A ball of mass 0.2 kg is rolling along at 20 m/s. Calculate the Kinetic Energy?

8. A car of mass 1600 kg is moving at 33 m/s (120 km/h). Calculate the Kinetic energy?

9. The skydiver with weight of 95 kg has jumped out of an aeroplane and his instantaneous velocity is
40 m/s. Calculate the kinetic energy of the skydiver?

10. Calculate the Kinetic energy of the car using the following velocities measured in an instant as the
car rolled further down the hill.

Mass of car: m (kg) Velocity: v (m/s) Kinetic energy (J)

Ek = ½ mv2
2000 33

2000 25

2000 17

2000 5

2000 0
Calculating Gravitational Potential Energy

11. Calculate the gravitational potential energy of the car at different heights by filling out the table.

Weight of car attached to Height of Car attached to Ep= mgh (J)

caravan (Kg) caravan from ground (m) g=9.8 m/s2
2000 800

2000 600

2000 400

2000 200

2000 0

12. If the height of the car from the ground decreases does the gravitational potential energy of the car
decrease or increase? __________________________________________________________________

13. A rock with a mass of 10 kg sits at the top of a hill 20 m high. What is the potential energy?

14. A rock climber is 30 m above the ground. If the mass of the climber is 90 kg, what is his P.E.?

15. A rock with a mass of 3 kg sits atop a cliff that is 17 m tall. What is its potential energy?

16. A 10 kg mass is lifted to a height of 2 m. What is its potential energy at this position?
Calculating Kinetic Energy
17. A projectile of mass 100g is fired vertically with a velocity of 20 ms -1. Calculate the kinetic energy.

18. An object with mass of 5 kg is moving at a velocity of 10 m/s. What is the kinetic energy?

19. If the velocity of the car increases as it rolls further down the hill, then will the kinetic energy of the
car increase or decrease?
_________________________________________________________________

20. An object with mass of 2 kg is moving at a velocity (speed) of 2 m/s. What is the K.E.?

21. An object with a mass of 2 kg has a K.E. of 36 J. What speed does it move?

22. An object has a K.E. of 45 J and is moving at 3 m/s. What is the mass?

23. You serve a volleyball with a mass of 2.1 kg. The ball leaves your hand with a speed of 30 m/s. The
ball has ______________________ energy. Calculate it.