The picture is of the tapering Chester Shot Tower, located in Chester, England. It was built in 1799 for the manufacture of lead shot for use in the Napoleonic Wars. Molten lead was poured through a sieve at the top of the tower, with the tiny droplets forming perfect spheres during the fall; these were then cooled in a vat of water at the base. This process was less labor intensive than an earlier method using molds. It is the oldest of the three remaining shot towers in the UK.
Question 1: Using the parked van at the base, estimate (i) the height of the tower and (ii) the number of bricks comprising it. Assume the tower wall is only one brick thick (this is undoubtedly not the case, of course!).
Question 2: What is the potential energy of the tower?
