My 8-year old niece is bugging me! I can't decipher those letters...
2006-07-07 20:58:59 · 7 answers · asked by dULz 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
an 8 yr old... spectacular..
2006-07-07 21:02:41 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
As mentioned before PE is a measure of energy (usually in Joules) associated with a mass (usually in kilograms) placed in a uniform gravitational field with an associated acceleration scalar (usually measured in m/s^2) a displacement d (usually in meters) away from a position defined as having a PE=0.
What this means is that the choice for the zero of PE is arbitrary. Therefore an object could have any PE as long as you define the zero in such a manner. The fact that you use displacement not distance (there is a difference) means that an object could also have a negative PE. So PE is not an intrinsic quality, like mass is. So in order to have a reference that is universally accepted, one says that PE is defined to be 0 with infinite separation. This would then define all GPE as negative as it should be since gravity is doing positive work on the object to "suck" it in. So the PE is the work done and hence stored in the object to bring to whater "height" it is, hence the potential As a note GPE=mgh is only a simplification in that g would be defined as approx -9.8 m/s/s. The more appropiate definition is
GPE=-GMm/r
where G is the universal gravational constant
M is larger mass
m is smaller mass or mass or interest
r is distance between masses m, M
now since near the surface of the earth the gravational field is pretty uniform you can forget about the inverse square effect and simply use GPE=mgh
Hope that clears up a few loose ends ( :
2006-07-08 04:41:15 · answer #2 · answered by GT Joe 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
looks like Potential energy = mass x gravity x distance
this formula is used to compute the potential energy of an object distance d from the ground with mass m and gravity g
2006-07-08 04:03:29 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
PE = potential energy
m=mass
g = acceleration due to gravity
d = vertical distance (height)
2006-07-08 04:02:35 · answer #4 · answered by akg 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How does an 8-yr old come across this?
2006-07-08 04:02:38 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
could she be asking for a p & j ? sandwich?
2006-07-08 04:03:47 · answer #6 · answered by Paul G 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Please take that youngster to the nearest science hall/exhibit/whatever and set her loose. :-)
2006-07-08 04:15:36 · answer #7 · answered by Mr__Roarke 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋