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Question 1: A bucket is taken to the bottom of a well; does the bucket possess some potential energy?
ANSWER
Yes, the bucket possesses potential energy when taken to the bottom of the well. When we take a bucket to the bottom of a well, we do work against the up thrust of water. Because, while taking it down into the water, it pushes the water aside and making place for itself. This work done is stored in the bucket as its potential energy and at the bottom of the well it possesses potential energy equal to the amount of work done on the bucket. If the bucket is immersed into water in the well for a distance ‘d’, then the work done against the up-thrust of water is

.= Fd

Therefore, potential energy possessed by the bucket is, Potential Energy = PE = Work done = Fd However, this should be noted that the potential energy of the bucket with respect to ground is negative as ‘h’ is now measured below the ground level.

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