Question

read the text about a person in motion.
an athlete competed in a 5,000 - meter wheelchair race. as she began her last lap around the flat track, she pushed hard and sped past another racer.
complete the statement. assume that the athletes mass did not change.
the gravitational potential energy stored between the athlete and earth ______ as she sped up around the track.
increased
decreased
stayed the same

Explanation:

Step1: Recall the formula for gravitational potential energy

The formula for gravitational potential energy is \(U = mgh\), where \(m\) is mass, \(g\) is the acceleration due to gravity, and \(h\) is the height.

Step2: Analyze the height change

Since the track is flat (\(h\) - height does not change), and \(m\) (mass) and \(g\) (acceleration due to gravity near - Earth's surface is approximately constant for the context of the problem) are constant.
Using the formula \(U = mgh\), if \(m\) and \(g\) are constant and \(h\) does not change, then the gravitational potential energy \(U\) remains the same.

Answer:

stayed the same