Question

A ball, with a mass of 10 kg, is dropped from the top of a building, from a height of 20 meters. Explain what will

happen to the potential energy if the 10 kg mass is replaced with a mass of 40 kg and the height of the drop remains
constant.

A)The potential energy stays the same

B)The potential energy increases 16 times.

C)The potential energy increases two times.

D)The potential energy increases four times

Answer 1

D

Step-by-step explanation:

Let’s use the equation for potential energy to figure this out.

PE = mgh, where m=mass, g=acceleration due to gravity, and h=height.

So the more mass, the more potential energy.

We are multiplying the mass by 4, and since there are no squares or anything in the equation, the PE will likewise be multiplied by 4.