When a baseball is at rest and then is thrown, what is the relationship between the ball’s potential and kinetic energy?
When a baseball is at rest, it has zero kinetic energy and maximum potential energy. As it is thrown and starts moving, its potential energy decreases while its kinetic energy increases. The total energy remains constant, but the distribution between potential and kinetic energy changes.
When a baseball is at rest and then is thrown, what is the relationship between the ball’s potential and kinetic energy?(1 point)
Responses
As the ball’s potential energy decreases, its kinetic energy decreases.
As the ball’s potential energy decreases, its kinetic energy decreases.
As the ball’s potential energy increases, its kinetic energy decreases.
As the ball’s potential energy increases, its kinetic energy decreases.
As the ball’s potential energy increases, its kinetic energy increases.
As the ball’s potential energy increases, its kinetic energy increases.
As the ball’s potential energy decreases, its kinetic energy increases.
As the ball's potential energy decreases, its kinetic energy increases.
At what point in time does the ball have the highest kinetic energy?
(1 point)
Responses
At the start (0 seconds)
At the start (0 seconds)
After 0.5 seconds
After 0.5 seconds
After 2 seconds
After 2 seconds
After 2.5 seconds
When a baseball is at rest, it does not possess any kinetic energy because it is not moving. However, it does possess potential energy due to its position relative to the ground. The potential energy is stored in the form of gravitational potential energy.
When the baseball is thrown, it starts to move and gains kinetic energy. As it travels through the air, its potential energy decreases because its height above the ground decreases. At the same time, its kinetic energy increases because of its motion.
Therefore, the relationship between the baseball's potential and kinetic energy is that as the ball is thrown and starts to move, the potential energy decreases while the kinetic energy increases.
To understand the relationship between the ball's potential and kinetic energy, let's first define both types of energy:
1. Potential Energy: This is the energy that an object possesses due to its position or condition. In the case of the baseball, when it is at rest, it has gravitational potential energy because of its height above the ground. The higher the ball is, the greater its potential energy.
2. Kinetic Energy: This is the energy possessed by an object in motion. The kinetic energy of the baseball depends on its mass and velocity. The faster the ball is moving and the more massive it is, the greater its kinetic energy.
When the baseball is at rest and thrown, its potential energy begins to convert into kinetic energy. As the ball is released and starts to fall, gravity accelerates it downward, converting potential energy into kinetic energy. As the ball gains speed and travels faster, its potential energy decreases while its kinetic energy increases.
At the highest point of the ball's trajectory, its potential energy is maximum because it has reached the maximum height. At this point, its kinetic energy is minimum since it momentarily comes to a stop before changing direction and falling back down.
As the ball descends, its potential energy decreases while its kinetic energy increases again. The ball continues to alternate between potential and kinetic energy as it moves through the air until it eventually reaches the ground or is caught.
Therefore, the relationship between the ball's potential and kinetic energy is such that as the potential energy decreases, the kinetic energy increases, and vice versa.