Question

The figure shows two climbing routes at Tahquitz Rock, near Idyllwild, California. They begin and end at the same point. Com- pare the work done against gravity by the same climber climbing the two routes. Why would it be of interest to state these figures instead as the work per kilogram of body mass, in units of J/kg? In the analogy with electrical fields, what would these units be?

Answer 1

As graviational force is a conservative force : Work done by the force doesn't depend on the path. It depends on final point and intial point only.

In the given figure climber's starting and final points are same but path are diffrent but due to conservative nature of force in both cases "work done against gravity would remain same"

So it is very neccesary to use the figures to give infromation about path.  As if data is given in terms of (j/kg) it will ramains same in both the cases and paths can't be differentiated.

Electric field is also conservative in nature so it is analogus to work done by gravitation field

In electric field Work = q V (q : charge V : Potential diffrence)

Equivalent unit of J/ kg is J/coulumb .