Answer to Question #196532 in Physics for Mr. Lee

Question

Travelling in a mountainous area, a bus of mass 3 tons reaches the edge of a steep valley. There is a 1 km vertical drop to reach the valley below, but 20 km of road to get there. What gravitational potential energy? Will the bus lose in making its descent to the valley bottom?

Answer 1

$\Delta PE=mg\Delta h=3000\cdot9.8\cdot1000=29.4\cdot10^6\ (J)=29.4\ (MJ)$ . Answer