A 3 kg book is on a shelf 3 m tall. What is its potential energy?

88.2J

Explanation:

Given parameters:

Mass of book = 3kg

Height of shelf = 3m

Unknown:

Potential energy  = ?

Solution:

The potential energy of a body is the energy due to the position of that body.

It can be mathematically calculated as;

       P.E  = mgh

m is the mass of the body

g is the acceleration due to gravity  = 9.8m/s²

h is the height

 Now insert the parameters and solve;

        P.E  = 3 x 9.8 x 3  = 88.2J