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Ch 07: Newton's Third Law
Chapter 7, Problem 2

A car traveling at 30 m/s runs out of gas while traveling up a 10 degree slope. How far up the hill will it coast before starting to roll back down?

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Kinetic Energy

Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion, calculated using the formula KE = 1/2 mv², where m is mass and v is velocity. In this scenario, the car's initial kinetic energy will determine how far it can coast up the slope before coming to a stop.
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Potential Energy

Potential energy is the energy stored in an object due to its position in a gravitational field, given by PE = mgh, where m is mass, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height. As the car ascends the slope, its kinetic energy is converted into potential energy until it comes to a stop.
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Energy Conservation

The principle of energy conservation states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. In this problem, the car's initial kinetic energy will be converted into potential energy as it climbs the slope, allowing us to calculate the maximum height it reaches before rolling back down.
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