One basketball is falling to the hoop near the top of the basketball goal. What kind of energy?
The basketball possesses potential energy as it is falling towards the hoop near the top of the basketball goal.
The falling basketball near the top of the basketball hoop has both potential energy and kinetic energy. The potential energy is due to its position above the ground, and the kinetic energy is due to its motion as it falls towards the hoop.
The kind of energy possessed by a falling basketball near the top of a basketball goal is gravitational potential energy. This is the energy that an object possesses due to its position relative to the Earth's surface. To calculate the gravitational potential energy of the basketball, we need to consider its mass (m), the acceleration due to gravity (g), and the height (h) from which it falls.
The formula to calculate gravitational potential energy (PE) is:
PE = m * g * h
Where:
m is the mass of the object
g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s^2 on Earth)
h is the height from which the object falls
By plugging in the values for the basketball's mass, acceleration due to gravity, and the height from which it falls, you can calculate the gravitational potential energy possessed by the basketball.