Aeronautical engineers have invented a device that achieves the conversion of kinetic to potential energy as described in Exercise 12. The device achieves this conversion with high efficiency. In other words, a high percentage of the translational kinetic energy of motion is converted into vertical “lift” with little lost to horizontal “drag.” What is the device called? This is not rocket science.

Exercise 12

A vehicle of mass 1.50 × 10⁴ kg is traveling on the ground with a TKE of 4.69 × 10⁸ J. By means of a device that interacts with the surrounding air, it is able to convert 50.% of the TKE into GPE. This energy conversion enables it to ascend vertically. To what height above the ground does it rise?