Question

gpe practice (honors)
an owl has a mass of 4.00 kg. it dives to catch a mouse, losing 800.00 j of its gpe. what was the starting height of the owl, in meters? (round answer to the nearest whole number)
hint: you have to rearrange the gpe equation to solve for height. dont forget to include the correct abbreviated unit in your answer (e.g. 50 m, 25 m/s^2, 1 kg).
n =

Explanation:

Step1: Recall the GPE formula

The formula for gravitational - potential energy is $GPE = mgh$, where $GPE$ is the gravitational - potential energy, $m$ is the mass, $g$ is the acceleration due to gravity ($g = 9.8\ m/s^{2}$), and $h$ is the height. We need to solve for $h$, so we can re - arrange the formula to $h=\frac{GPE}{mg}$.

Step2: Substitute the given values

We know that $m = 4.00\ kg$, $GPE=800.00\ J$, and $g = 9.8\ m/s^{2}$. Substitute these values into the formula: $h=\frac{800.00\ J}{4.00\ kg\times9.8\ m/s^{2}}$.

Step3: Calculate the height

First, calculate the denominator: $4.00\ kg\times9.8\ m/s^{2}=39.2\ N$. Then, $h=\frac{800.00\ J}{39.2\ N}\approx20.41\ m$.

Step4: Round to the nearest whole number

Rounding $20.41\ m$ to the nearest whole number gives $h = 20\ m$.

Answer:

$20\ m$