read the text about an animal in motion.\na prairie dog was resting underground in its burrow when it heard…
read the text about an animal in motion.\na prairie dog was resting underground in its burrow when it heard other prairie dogs running around above ground. the prairie dog left its burrow and ran around on a flat field with the others. after a few minutes, it got hungry. so, it stopped in a patch of grass to feed.\nwhen was the least gravitational potential energy stored between the prairie dog and earth? assume that the prairie dogs mass did not change.\nwhen the prairie dog was resting in its burrow\nwhen the prairie dog got hungry\nwhen the prairie dog stopped in the grass
Answer
Answer:
when the prairie dog was resting in its burrow
Explanation:
Step1: Recall gravitational - potential - energy formula
The gravitational potential energy formula is $U = mgh$, where $m$ is mass, $g$ is the acceleration due to gravity, and $h$ is the height above the ground level.
Step2: Analyze height in each situation
The prairie - dog is at the lowest height when it is resting in its burrow. Since $m$ and $g$ are constant and $U$ is directly proportional to $h$, the lower the $h$, the lower the $U$. When it is running around on the flat field or stopped in the grass, it is at a higher height compared to when it is in the burrow.