Creative Commons License Copyright © Michael Richmond. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Use the potential to find the force


Map courtesy of Volcano Models

Bob the skiing rabbit (m = 3 kg) takes advantage of the recent snowfall to go skiing on the hill behind his neighborhood. The map above shows Bob's gravitational potential energy at different locations on the hill.

Your job is to figure out the component of the gravitational force which pulls Bob along the slope as he skis from one place to another. Please express your value as a vector.

  1. from A to B
  2. from A to C
  3. from B to D
  4. from D to E

Where is the gravitational force along the slope the strongest? Mark the location, and estimate the magnitude and direction of the gravitational force at that spot.

Creative Commons License Copyright © Michael Richmond. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.