The floors are 3.8 m apart and he climbs to the 5th, 10th and 1st basement floor. I'm not asking for the actual answer but can someone point me in the right way of how to answer the question. I know that Eg = m*g*h but I don't have the mass to start with. I tried using system of equations in math to figure it out but it didn't work. I assume that the mass at each of the floors are the same.
2007-03-26 14:49:12 · 2 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
I know that I need the mass of the man but I am not given it.
2007-03-26 15:21:03 · update #1
Potential energy will be weight above a reference elevation. If the first floor is your reference, the potential energy will be negative on the basement level. So it would be easier to start in the basement as zero elevation and work up from there.
The mass or the weight of the building does not matter. Yes, the weight (or mass) of the man will remain the same here.
As you have not been given the mass or the weight of the man, just pick a weight for him yourself (W)kg and work out the basement (zero) , the first floor PE =(3.8W) then figure the fifth and tenth floor answers using that.
(The mass of the man would be used for kinetic energy.)
2007-03-26 20:35:38 · answer #1 · answered by Bomba 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The mass you need is the mass of the man. The mass of the floors does not matter at all. All you need to know about the floors is how high they are. The 10th floor is 38 meters high for example.
2007-03-26 22:08:05 · answer #2 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋