University of Central Florida (UCF) PHY1038 Physics of Energy, Climate Change and Environment Final Practice Exam

To determine the gravitational potential energy of an object, the formula used is:

\[ \text{Potential Energy (PE)} = mgh \]

where:

- \( m \) is the mass of the object,

- \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately \( 9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2 \) near the surface of the Earth),

- \( h \) is the height above a reference point.

In this scenario, both the water and the feathers have the same mass (100 kilograms) and are at the same height. Since the mass and the height are identical for both objects, they will each have the same potential energy when applying the formula. The acceleration due to gravity is constant for both, so it does not affect the comparison.

This leads to the conclusion that the gravitational potential energy of the 100 kilograms of water is equal to that of the 100 kilograms of feathers at the same height. Thus, they have the same gravitational potential energy.