How can a stationary metal sphere have kinetic energy, the energy of motion?
A stationary metal sphere can have kinetic energy if it is subjected to an external force that starts to move it.
According to the principle of conservation of energy, energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only be transformed from one form to another. So, when the external force acts on the stationary metal sphere, it transfers some energy to the sphere, causing it to move.
Once the metal sphere starts moving, it gains kinetic energy, which is given by the equation:
Kinetic Energy = (1/2) * mass * velocity^2
where the mass is the mass of the sphere and the velocity is the speed at which the sphere is moving.
So, even though the metal sphere was initially stationary, the application of an external force can give it kinetic energy, or the energy of motion.