High School

A 67 kg skydiver is at a height of 2356 m. How much gravitational potential energy does the skydiver store?

A) 156,412 J
B) 1,583,264 J
C) 44,750 J
D) 33,358 J

Answer :

Final answer:

The gravitational potential energy stored by a 67 kg skydiver at a height of 2356 m, using the formula E = mgh, would be approximately 1,549,666.4 J. Answer option B is closest to this calculated value, although there is a slight discrepancy.

Explanation:

The gravitational potential energy stored by a skydiver who is at a certain height above the ground. The formula to calculate gravitational potential energy is mgh, where m is mass in kilograms, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height above the ground in meters.

To find the gravitational potential energy of a 67 kg skydiver at a height of 2356 m, we use the standard acceleration due to gravity, which is 9.8 m/s2. Hence, the gravitational potential energy is given by:

Gravitational Potential Energy = mgh = 67 kg × 9.8 m/s2 × 2356 m

Upon calculation, the energy stored is:

Gravitational Potential Energy = 67 kg × 9.8 m/s2 × 2356 m ≈ 1,549,666.4 J

However, none of the provided answer options exactly match this calculated value, but since answer option B) 1,583,264 J is closest to the calculated value, the student is likely expected to choose this as the correct answer despite the slight discrepancy, possibly due to rounding differences or a typographical error in the question.