This is meant to be handed out to the students.
1. (2 points) What is the gravitational potential energy of a 100 gram ball 100 cm above the floor? (You will lose points if you do not include units.)
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* gravitational potential energy = m g h, *
* *
* where g is 980 cm/sec2. *
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2. (3 points) If I measure the kinetic energy of a ball right before it hits the floor to be 512 ergs, what was its gravitational potential energy when I let it go at some height above the floor? Don't forget units. (Hint - You don't need to know the height of the ball to figure this out. Think about conservation of energy.)
Important Disclaimers and Caveats