(a) How much gravitational potential energy (relative to the ground on which it is built) is stored in the Great Pyramid of Cheops, given that its mass is about 7 × 109 kg and its center of mass is 36.5 m above the surrounding ground? (b) How does this energy compare with the daily food intake of a person?
Step-by-step solution 17PE Step 1 of 2 (a) The gravitational potential energy of an object of mass at a height is, Substitute for , for , for in the above equation. Hence, the gravitational potential energy stored in the Great Pyramid is .