Question

While leaning out a window that is 5.7 m above the ground, you drop a 0.60 kg basketball to a friend at ground level. Your friend catches the ball at a height of 1.2 m above the ground. Determine the following.

(a)

the amount of work done (in J) by the force of gravity on the ball

J

(b)

the gravitational potential energy (in J) of the ball-earth system, relative to the ground when it is released

J

(c)

the gravitational potential energy (in J) of the ball-earth system, relative to the ground when it is caught

J

(d)

the ratio of the change (PE_f − PE₀) in the gravitational potential energy of the ball-earth system to the work done on the ball by the force of gravity

ΔPE

W

=

Answer 1