The diagram shows a baseball being thrown into the air. Which graph best represents how the kinetic energy (KE) and potential energy (PE) of the baseball change through its flight?
Unfortunately, I cannot see the diagram you are referring to. However, the typical graph representation of how the kinetic energy (KE) and potential energy (PE) of a baseball change during flight is as follows:
- At the beginning of the flight, when the baseball is thrown into the air, the potential energy is at its maximum and the kinetic energy is at its minimum. This is because the baseball is at its highest point, which means it has the most potential energy, but it has not yet started moving significantly, resulting in low kinetic energy.
- As the baseball starts to descend, the potential energy gradually decreases while the kinetic energy increases. This is because the baseball loses height, consequently losing potential energy, but gains speed, resulting in increased kinetic energy.
- At the halfway point of the flight, the baseball reaches its maximum velocity and its potential energy is at its minimum. At this point, the kinetic energy is at its maximum. This is because all the potential energy has been converted into kinetic energy.
- As the baseball continues to descend towards the ground, the potential energy remains constant at its minimum (since the height does not change significantly at this point) while the kinetic energy gradually decreases. This is because the baseball loses speed as it comes closer to the ground.
- Finally, when the baseball hits the ground, its potential energy is at its minimum (almost zero) and its kinetic energy is also at its minimum (almost zero). This is because the ball has no height and no speed, resulting in minimal potential and kinetic energy.
Note: This description provides a general trend of how the energies change during the flight of a baseball, but the actual values may vary depending on the specific scenario and the assumptions made.