Juliet wants to significantly increase the amount of kinetic energy of her bowling ball in order to increase her chances of getting a strike. Which of the following would increase the ball's kinetic energy the most?
a
she cannot increase the kinetic energy
b
increasing the speed at which she throws the ball
c
decreasing the speed at which she throws the ball
d
changing to a ball with more mass
b) increasing the speed at which she throws the ball. Kinetic energy is directly proportional to the square of an object's velocity, so increasing the speed of the ball will have the greatest effect on increasing its kinetic energy.
b. increasing the speed at which she throws the ball
To determine which option would increase the ball's kinetic energy the most, we need to understand the factors that affect kinetic energy. Kinetic energy depends on both the mass and the speed of an object.
The formula for kinetic energy is given by:
Kinetic Energy = 1/2 * mass * speed^2
Let's break down the given options and see how they would affect the ball's kinetic energy:
a) She cannot increase the kinetic energy: This option does not provide any specific action, so it won't increase the ball's kinetic energy.
b) Increasing the speed at which she throws the ball: According to the kinetic energy formula, the speed of the ball is squared. This means that increasing the speed will have a greater impact on the kinetic energy than simply increasing the mass. Therefore, increasing the speed at which she throws the ball will increase the ball's kinetic energy the most.
c) Decreasing the speed at which she throws the ball: Since decreasing the speed would lower the value squared in the kinetic energy formula, it will result in a decrease in the ball's kinetic energy.
d) Changing to a ball with more mass: Mass is directly proportional to kinetic energy, but it is not squared like speed. So, while increasing the mass will increase the ball's kinetic energy, it will not have as significant an impact as increasing the speed.
Therefore, the correct answer is option b) Increasing the speed at which she throws the ball.