Question

10.A student pulled a 50 kg cart up a ramp using a force of 100 N. By the time the cart reached the top of the ramp, it had gained 900 joules of potential energy.

What happened to the work the student did by pulling the cart?

1. Some of the work done on the cart became the cart’s potential energy, and some of the
work was converted into heat by friction

1. B. All the work done on the cart was transformed into the cart’s potential energy.
2. The cart had no kinetic energy at the top of the ramp because all the work done on the
cart was converted into heat by friction.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

1. Some of the work done on the cart became the cart’s potential energy, and some of the work was converted into heat by friction.

This is according to the principle of conservation of energy. When the student pulls the cart up the ramp, work is done on the cart. This work is then transformed into potential energy, increasing the cart's height. Some of the work may also be lost as heat due to friction. Therefore, the work done is not entirely transformed into potential energy, but is also potentially lost as heat due to friction.