Your Answers: A wrench with a mass of 3 slugs is about to be accidently knocked off an unsafe scaffold platform 8 ft high. How many ft -lb of potential energy does the wrench have?

To calculate the potential energy (PE) of the wrench, you can use the formula PE = mgh, where m is mass in slugs, g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 32.2 ft/s²), and h is the height in feet. So, PE = 3 slugs * 32.2 ft/s² * 8 ft = 772.8 ft-lb. The wrench has about 772.8 ft-lb of potential energy right before it takes an unfortunate plunge! Now, isn’t it fascinating how potential energy works? Every object at a height has energy just waiting to be released! This is why it’s important to secure tools and objects on scaffolding, as the energy transforms into kinetic energy the moment they begin to fall, potentially causing accidents or injuries. Stay safe up there!