3 - Basic Problems Involving Mechanical Energy

Assume that all of the following situations are frictionless

3-1. A small airplane with a mass of 1000 kg is flying at 60 m/s at an altitude of 250 m.
What is its total mechanical energy with respect to the ground?
4 252 500 J

3-2. A 50 g ball is dropped from a window 10 m above the ground. What is the kinetic energy
of the ball the instant before it hits the ground?

4.905 J

3-3. A stone with a mass of 100 g is thrown horizontally with a speed of 20 m/s from the top
of a cliff 15 m high. What is the kinetic energy of the stone just before it hits the ground.
Disregard the effects of air resistance.
34.715 J

3-4. A 100 g ball is thrown vertically upward from the ground with a velocity of 20 m/s.
What is the kinetic energy of the ball after it has risen 5 m?
15.1 J

3-5. A skater and her skateboard have a mass of 60 kg. Starting from rest, she goes down a ramp
whose vertical drop is 1.8 m. What is the skater's speed at the bottom of the ramp?

5.94 m/s
SOLUTIONS

Assume that all of the following situations are frictionless

3-1. A small airplane with a mass of 1000 kg is flying at 60 m/s at an altitude of 250 m.
What is its total mechanical energy with respect to the ground?

Total Mechanical Energy = Potential Energy + Kinetic Energy

Formulas ET = EP + EK EP = m•g•h EK = (1/2)•m•V2

Conditions m = 1000 kg V = 60 m/s h = 250 m.

Calculations EP = m•g•h = 1000 x 9.81 x 250 = 2 452 500 J

EK = (1/2)•m•V2 = (1/2) x 1000 x 602 = 1 800 000 J

ET = EP + EK = 2 452 500 + 1 800 000 = 4 252 500 J

3-2. A 50 g ball is dropped from a window 10 m above the ground. What is the kinetic energy
of the ball the instant before it hits the ground?

Formulas ET = EP + EK EP = m•g•h EK = (1/2)•m•V2

Conditions window(1) m = 0.05 kg h1 = 10 m V1 = 0

ground(2) m = 0.05 kg h2 = 0 m V2 = ?

Calculations ET1 = EP1 + EK1 EP1 = 0.05 x 9.81 x 10 = 4.905 J EK1 = 0

ET2 = EP2 + EK2 EP2 = 0 EK1 = ?

Conservation of Energy : ET1 = ET2

EP1 + EK1 = EP2 + EK2

4.905 + 0 = 0 + EK2

EK2 = 4.905 J

3-3. A stone with a mass of 100 g is thrown horizontally with a speed of 20 m/s from the top
of a cliff 15 m high. What is the kinetic energy of the stone just before it hits the ground.

Formulas ET = EP + EK EP = m•g•h EK = (1/2)•m•V2

Conditions cliff(1) m = 0.1 kg h1 = 15 m V1 = 20 m/s

ground(2) m = 0.1 kg h2 = 0 m V2 = ?

Calculations

ET1 = EP1 + EK1 EP1 = 0.1 x 9.81 x 15 = 14.715 J EK1 = (1/2) x 0.1 x 202 = 20 J

ET2 = EP2 + EK2 EP2 = 0 EK1 = ?

Conservation of Energy : ET1 = ET2

EP1 + EK1 = EP2 + EK2

14.715 + 20 = 0 + EK2

EK2 = 34.715 J
3-4. A 100 g ball is thrown vertically upward from the ground with a velocity of 20 m/s.
What is the kinetic energy of the ball after it has risen 5 m?

Formulas ET = EP + EK EP = m•g•h EK = (1/2)•m•V2

Conditions ground(1) m = 0.1 kg h1 = 0 V1 = 20 m/s

at 5 m(2) m = 0.1 kg h2 = 5 m V2 = ?

Calculations

ET1 = EP1 + EK1 EP1 = 0 J EK1 = (1/2) x 0.1 x 202 = 20 J

ET2 = EP2 + EK2 EP2 = 0.1 x 9.81 x 5 = 4.905 J EK2 = ?

Conservation of Energy : ET1 = ET2

EP1 + EK1 = EP2 + EK2

0 + 20 = 4.905 + EK2

EK2 = 15.1 J

3-5. A skater and her skateboard have a mass of 60 kg. Starting from rest, she goes down a ramp
whose vertical drop is 1.8 m. What is the skater's speed at the bottom of the ramp?

Formulas ET = EP + EK EP = m•g•h EK = (1/2)•m•V2

Conditions ramp top(1) m = 60 kg h1 = 1.8 m V1 = 0 m/s

ground(2) m = 60 kg h2 = 0 m V2 = ?

Calculations

ET1 = EP1 + EK1 EP1 = 60 x 9.81 x 1.8 = 1059.48 J EK1 = 0

ET2 = EP2 + EK2 EP2 = 0 EK2 = ?

Conservation of Energy : ET1 = ET2

EP1 + EK1 = EP2 + EK2

1059.48 + 0 = 0 + EK2
EK2 = 1059.48 J EK = (1/2)•m•V2

1059.48 = (1/2) x 60 x V2 2

V2 = 5.94 m/s