You are in a Firehouse and decide to walk up a spiral staircase to the second fl

Question

You are in a Firehouse and decide to walk up a spiral staircase to the second floor located 3 meters above the first floor. You then walk across the floor to the fire pole which is 2 meters away from the spiral staircase. You slide down the fire pole to the first floor. You then walk back over to the spiral staircase where you started. Determine the change in Gravitational Potential Energy that you experience as you:
(a) Walk up the spiral staircase
(b) Walk across the second story floor to the fire pole
(c) Slide down the fire pole
(d) Walk across the first story floor to the spiral staircase
(e) What is the total change in Gravitational Potential Energy for the entire trip?
Use your mass to determine these changes (2.2 pounds = 1 kilogram). Show work.

Explanation / Answer

Let mass be 100 kg a) m*g*h = 100*9.8*3 = 2940 J b) m*g*h = 100*9.8*0 = 0 J c) m*g*h = 100*9.8*3 = 2940 J d) m*g*h = 100*9.8*0 = 0 J e) m*g*h = 100*9.8*0 = 0 J Note : change in Gravitational Potential Energy will depend on change in h (height). If it is not changing then the Gravitational Potential Energy will be zero.

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