Question

consider a .62 kg basetball that is dropped from a height of 1 metee avove the floor:

1.What form or forms of energy does the ball have before it is dropped, if an orgin is set on the ground? Be explicit and give a value for any energy and what form or forms of energy does the ball have right before it makes impact with the ground?

Answer 1

When the ball is above the ground at height of 1m

Potential Energy = m*g*h=0.62*9.8*1 = 6.076 J

Kinetic Energy = 0.5*m*v² = 0.5*0.62*0 = 0 because velocity is 0

When ball is just about to hit ground then all of the potential energy will get converted into kinetic energy due to conservation of energy.

Potential Energy will become zero now because height is 0.

Kinetic Energy will be equa to the potential energy at the highest position i.e.

Kinetic Energy = 6.076 J