Makayla and Aaron are watching a basketball game after school. As they observe different basketballs in the gym, they think about what they learned in class earlier that day. Help them complete these sentences to explain what they learned.(4 points)
a. Some objects have energy due to their positions above the ground. This is called
. When an object gets higher above the ground, this kind of energy
.
a. Some objects have energy due to their positions above the ground. This is called potential energy. When an object gets higher above the ground, this kind of energy increases.
a. Some objects have energy due to their positions above the ground. This is called gravitational potential energy. When an object gets higher above the ground, this kind of energy increases.
a. Some objects have energy due to their positions above the ground. This is called potential energy. When an object gets higher above the ground, this kind of energy increases.
To explain this concept, Makayla and Aaron can think of a basketball that is held up at a certain height above the ground. In this position, the basketball has potential energy because it has the potential to do work or move if released.
To calculate potential energy, they can use the formula:
Potential energy (PE) = mass (m) * acceleration due to gravity (g) * height (h)
Here, the mass of the basketball (m) and the acceleration due to gravity (g, approximately 9.8 m/s^2) remain constant. However, as the basketball is lifted higher above the ground (increasing the height, h), the potential energy of the basketball also increases.
Therefore, as Makayla and Aaron observe different basketballs in the gym, they can conclude that when an object gets higher above the ground, it gains more potential energy.