Question

As you walk up a stair case, your potential energy increases. The same is true when you walk up a ramp. You decide to walk up the stairs; your friend decides to walk up the handicap accessible ramp.

1. Which of you experience a quantized change in your potential energy?

2. For which of you was the change continuous? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

Each step is at a fixed height from the previous one. Assuming that a person can only be at one step at a time it can be said that only those heights can be acheived which are a multiple of the smallest step size. So, Potential energy increment in case of stairs is fixed and hence quantized.

In, case of my friend, as the ramp has a continuous slope and he can be present at any of the heights. So, the potential energy increment is a continuous function with no sudden jump in between.