What is the minimum amount of energy represented by one joule?

One joule is defined as the amount of energy transferred when a force of one newton is applied over a distance of one meter. In the context of lifting an object against the force of gravity, to calculate the work done (or energy used), you can use the formula:

Work (in joules) = Force (in newtons) × Distance (in meters).

In a gravitational field, the force needed to lift a mass can be calculated using the weight, which is given by:

Weight (in newtons) = Mass (in kilograms) × g (acceleration due to gravity, approximately 9.81 m/s²).

For lifting a 1 kg object, the force required is approximately 9.81 newtons. By lifting this object to a height of 10 cm (0.1 meters), the work done would be:

Work = 1 kg × 9.81 m/s² × 0.1 m = 0.981 joules.

Therefore, it takes nearly 1 joule of energy to lift a 1 kg object by 10 cm, making it a valid representation of minimal energy in that scenario.

The other choices do not accurately reflect the correct application of the joule in physical