Determine the mass of a body falling from a height of 30 meters to a height of 15

Determine the mass of a body falling from a height of 30 meters to a height of 15 meters on the ground, if the change in potential energy is 300 Joule.

Given:

h1 = 30 meters – initial body height;

h2 = 15 meters – final body height;

dE = 300 Joules – change in the potential energy of the body;

g = 10 meters per second squared – acceleration due to gravity (constant near the surface of the earth).

It is required to determine m (kilogram) – body weight.

dE = E1 – E2;

dE = m * g * h1 – m * g * h2;

dE = m * g * (h1 – h2);

m = dE / (g * (h1 – h2)) = 300 / (10 * (30 – 15)) = 300 / (10 * 15) =

= 300/150 = 30/15 = 2 kilograms.

Answer: body weight is 2 kilograms.