In an investigation of potential and kinetic energy, a student stands at the top of a hill and pushes a ball down the hill as shown.
How does the potential and kinetic energy of the ball change as the ball rolls down the hill?
(1 point)
Responses
The potential energy of the ball increases, and the kinetic energy of the ball decreases.
The potential energy of the ball increases, and the kinetic energy of the ball decreases.
The potential and kinetic energy of the ball both decrease.
The potential and kinetic energy of the ball both decrease.
The potential energy of the ball decreases, and the kinetic energy of the ball increases.
The potential energy of the ball decreases, and the kinetic energy of the ball increases.
The potential and kinetic energy of the ball both increase.
The potential and kinetic energy of the ball both increase.
The correct answer is:
The potential energy of the ball decreases, and the kinetic energy of the ball increases.
As the ball rolls down the hill, it loses potential energy (due to its decreasing height) and gains kinetic energy (due to its increasing speed).
The potential energy of the ball decreases, and the kinetic energy of the ball increases.
The correct answer is: The potential energy of the ball decreases, and the kinetic energy of the ball increases.
To understand why, we need to review the definitions of potential and kinetic energy. Potential energy is the energy an object has due to its position or condition, while kinetic energy is the energy an object has due to its motion.
When the ball is at the top of the hill, it has a higher potential energy because of its elevated position. As the ball rolls down the hill, its potential energy decreases because it is moving lower in the gravitational field. At the same time, its kinetic energy increases because it is gaining speed and motion.
This is consistent with the principle of conservation of energy, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another. In this case, the potential energy is being converted into kinetic energy as the ball rolls down the hill.