Question 16 (1 point)
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?
a
b
c
d
It appears that the diagram mentioned in your question is not visible. However, I can explain how the kinetic energy (KE) and potential energy (PE) of a baseball change through its flight, and provide a general description of the graph that would represent those changes.
At the moment the baseball is thrown into the air:
- The kinetic energy is at its highest because the ball has just been given energy by the throw.
- The potential energy is at its lowest because the ball is at its starting height, which we can assume to be close to the ground.
As the baseball rises:
- The kinetic energy decreases because the ball slows down due to gravity.
- The potential energy increases because the ball gains height.
At the peak of the ball's flight:
- The kinetic energy is at its lowest because the ball has stopped rising—its velocity is momentarily zero at the top.
- The potential energy is at its highest because the ball is at its maximum height.
As the baseball falls back down:
- The kinetic energy increases because the ball is gaining speed due to gravity.
- The potential energy decreases because the ball is losing height.
When the baseball reaches the ground or the initial height from where it was thrown:
- The kinetic energy should again be high if we ignore air resistance (in a real-world scenario, it would be slightly lower than the initial KE due to energy loss).
- The potential energy should be back to its initial low value at the moment of impact.
Given these descriptions, the graph representing these energy changes would typically show that as one form of energy increases, the other decreases, reflecting the conservation of mechanical energy (if air resistance is negligible). The kinetic and potential energies would have an inverse relationship.
Without seeing the actual graphs labeled a, b, c, and d, I can't specifically tell you which one matches this description. However, you should look for a graph where one line starts high and decreases to a low point (kinetic energy), while the other starts low and increases to a high point (potential energy), intersecting at the peak height of the flight. After the intersection point, these behaviors would reverse as the ball begins to fall back down.