To find the difference in potential energy, we need to determine the change in height between point A and the final position. The formula for potential energy due to gravity is given by:
Potential energy (PE) = mass (m) * gravitational acceleration (g) * height (h)
Since we want to find the difference in potential energy, we can subtract the potential energy at point A from the potential energy at the final position. Mathematically, it would be:
ΔPE = PE_final - PE_A
Since the zero level is at point A, the potential energy at point A is zero. Therefore, we can simplify the equation to:
ΔPE = PE_final - 0
ΔPE = PE_final
Now, to calculate the difference in potential energy, we need to know the final position or the change in height (h). Once we have that information, we can substitute it into the formula along with the mass (m) and gravitational acceleration (g) to find the answer in units of joules (J).