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Difficulty: EasyWork, Energy, and Power

A skier slides down a hill from the starting gate at the summit to the finish line at the flat base. Arrange the following positions along the slope in order of the skier's gravitational potential energy, from greatest to least.

  1. 1At the starting gate at the summit
  2. 2One-quarter of the way down the slope
  3. 3Three-quarters of the way down the slope
  4. 4At the finish line at the flat base

Answer

The correct sequence from greatest to least gravitational potential energy is: at the starting gate at the summit, one-quarter of the way down the slope, three-quarters of the way down the slope, and at the finish line at the flat base.
Gravitational potential energy is calculated as PE=mghPE = mgh, where mm is mass, gg is the acceleration due to gravity, and hh is height. Because potential energy is directly proportional to height, the position with the greatest elevation (the summit) has the most potential energy, and potential energy decreases continuously as the skier moves toward the lowest elevation (the flat base).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the formula for gravitational potential energy
PE=mghPE = mgh
Gravitational potential energy is directly proportional to height above the reference level when mass and gravity are constant.
2
Rank the vertical heights of the given positions along the hill
Summit > One-quarter down > Three-quarters down > Flat base
As the skier descends the slope, vertical elevation continuously decreases.
3
Order the positions according to potential energy magnitude
pos_summit, pos_quarter, pos_three_quarter, pos_base
Higher elevations correspond directly to greater amounts of gravitational potential energy.

Key Concept

Gravitational potential energy depends directly on an object's vertical height above a reference point.
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Work, Energy, and Power

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