Question

a 17 kg box sitting on a shelf has a potential energy of 350 j. how high is the shelf? round your answer to the nearest whole number. the shelf is m high.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall the formula for gravitational potential energy

The formula for gravitational potential energy \(U = mgh\), where \(U\) is potential energy, \(m\) is mass, \(g\) is acceleration due to gravity (\(g = 9.8\space m/s^{2}\)), and \(h\) is height.

Step2: Solve the formula for \(h\)

We need to find \(h\). Rearranging the formula \(U=mgh\) for \(h\) gives \(h=\frac{U}{mg}\).
Substitute \(U = 350\space J\), \(m = 17\space kg\), and \(g = 9.8\space m/s^{2}\) into the formula:
\(h=\frac{350}{17\times9.8}\)
First, calculate \(17\times9.8=166.6\)
Then \(h=\frac{350}{166.6}\approx2.1\)

Answer:

\(2\)