Sean climbs a tower that is 71.3 m high to make a jump with a parachute. The mass of Sean plus the parachute is 81.4 kg. If U = 0 at ground level, what is the potential energy of Sean and the parachute at the top of the tower?

U = 56877.4 J

Explanation:

The potential energy of a body is that which it possesses because it is located at a certain height above the surface of the earth and can be calculated using the following formula:

U = mgh Formula (1)

Where:

U is the potential energy in Joules (J)

m is the mass of the body in kilograms (kg)

g is the acceleration due to gravity (m/s²)

h is the height at which the body is found from the surface of the earth in meters (m)

Data

m = 81.4 kg

g = 9.8 m/s²

h = 71.3 m

Potential energy of Sean and the parachute at the top of the tower

We replace data in the formula (1)

U = m*g*h

U = (81.4 kg) * (9.8 m/s²) * (71.3 m)

U = 56877.4 N*m

U = 56877.4 J