Question

A student holds their pen 20 centimeters above the desk. If the pen has a mass of 3

grams, how much potential energy does the pen have? (gravity is 9.8 m/s2)
SHOW YOUR WORK.

Answer 1

The potential energy : PE = 5.88 x 10⁻³ J

Further explanation

Given

height = h = 20 cm = 0.2 m

mass = 3 grams = 3 x 10⁻³ kg

Required

The potential energy

Solution

The energy produced from its position is called potential energy (PE)

which can be formulated as:

PE = m. g. h

Input the value :

PE = 3 x 10⁻³ x 9.8 x 0.2

PE = 5.88 x 10⁻³ J