9. A student drops a ball from three different heights, as shown. For each drop, she calculates what the kinetic energy of the ball would be when it hits the ground. The table shows her data.
Height of Drop ----------Kinetic Energy
1.0 meter---------48 joules
1.5 meter---------72 joules
2.0 meter---------96 joules
The student says that a ball dropped from a height of 3.0 meters would have less than 96 joules of kinetic energy when it hits the ground. Is she correct and why?
a. She is correct because the higher the ball is dropped from, the less kinetic energy it will have when it hits the ground.
b. She is correct because the higher the ball is dropped from, the greater kinetic energy it will have when it hits the ground.
c. She is incorrect because the higher the ball is dropped from, the greater kinetic energy it will have when it hits the ground.
d. She is incorrect because the higher the ball is dropped from, the less kinetic energy it will have when it hits the ground.
c. She is incorrect because the higher the ball is dropped from, the greater kinetic energy it will have when it hits the ground.
The correct answer is c. She is incorrect because the higher the ball is dropped from, the greater kinetic energy it will have when it hits the ground.
According to the data provided in the table, the kinetic energy of the ball increases as the height of the drop increases. For example, when the ball is dropped from a height of 1.0 meter, the kinetic energy is 48 joules. When it is dropped from a height of 1.5 meters, the kinetic energy increases to 72 joules. Finally, when it is dropped from a height of 2.0 meters, the kinetic energy further increases to 96 joules.
Based on this pattern, if the ball were dropped from a higher height such as 3.0 meters, it would have even more kinetic energy than 96 joules. Therefore, the student's statement is incorrect.