Towing a Trailer
In the figure shown, a trailer is towed 50 m along a slope such that its final potential energy is 75 kJ at the top. What is the trailer’s mass in kg?
Expand Hint
Vertical distances are only relevant in potential energy problems. Ignore the slope and angle.
Hint 2
Potential Energy in a Gravity Field:
$$$U=mgh$$$
where
$$m$$
is the mass,
$$g$$
is the acceleration due to gravity, and
$$h$$
is the height.
Vertical distances are only relevant in potential energy problems. Ignore the slope and angle. For Potential Energy in a Gravity Field:
$$$U=mgh$$$
where
$$m$$
is the mass,
$$g$$
is the acceleration due to gravity, and
$$h$$
is the height. Thus,
$$$75,000J=mass(9.8m/s^2)(20m)$$$
$$$75,000\frac{kg\cdot m^2}{s^2}=mass(9.8\frac{m^2}{s^2})(20)$$$
$$$mass=\frac{75,000kg}{196}=382.7\:kg$$$
382.7 kg
Time Analysis
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