Explain why the roller coaster’s potential energy is greater at point 1 than at point 4.

The answer to your question is given below.

Explanation:

Potential energy is the energy stored in a body by virtue of its location. Mathematically, potential energy is expressed as:

Potential energy (P.E) = Mass(m) x Acceleration due to gravity (g) x Height (h)

P.E = mgh

Since the mass of the object is always constant and the acceleration due to gravity is also constant, it therefore means that the potential energy of an object is directly proportional to the height where the object is located.

This implies that as the height to which the object is located increases, the potential energy of the object also increases and as the height to which the object is located decreases, the potential energy of the object will also decrease.

In the diagram given above, point 1 is higher than point 4. This will cause the potential energy of the roller to be higher at point 1 than at point 4.

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