The summit of Mount Everest is 8850 m above sea level. (a) How much energy would a 90 kg climb

step 1 So we know that here for part A, the change in internal energy must be equal to the mass times t

The summit of Mount Everest is 8850 m above sea level. (a)...

The summit of Mount Everest is $8850 \mathrm{~m}$ above sea level. (a) How much energy would a $90 \mathrm{~kg}$ climber expend against the gravitational force on him in climbing to the summit from sea level? (b) How many candy bars, at $1.25 \mathrm{MJ}$ per bar, would supply an energy equivalent to this? Your answer should suggest that work done against the gravitational force is a very small part of the energy expended in climbing a mountain.

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Key Concepts

Gravitational Potential Energy

This concept refers to the energy an object possesses due to its position in a gravitational field. It is quantitatively described by the formula U = mgh, where m is the mass, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height above a reference level. In the context of climbing, it represents the minimum amount of energy needed to elevate a mass to a certain height within a gravitational field.

Mechanical Work

Mechanical work in physics is the energy transferred to or from an object via the application of force along a displacement. When climbing, doing work against gravity involves applying force over a vertical distance, thereby increasing the climber’s gravitational potential energy.

Energy Conversion

This concept involves converting energy from one form to another. In the problem, the mechanical work (quantified in Joules) required to climb is compared to the chemical energy provided by food (measured in Megajoules), illustrating how a small fraction of the energy content in food is used to perform mechanical work against gravity during climbing.

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