1. When the bowling ball is at its highest point, it has maximum potential energy. This is because the ball is lifted against the force of gravity by the person pulling it back. As the ball is released and starts swinging, the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy. At the lowest point of the swing, the ball has maximum kinetic energy and minimum potential energy. As the ball swings back towards its highest point, the kinetic energy is gradually converted back into potential energy.
2. The bowling ball will not hit the person's nose if the pendulum is set up correctly. This is because the total mechanical energy of the system remains constant throughout the motion. As the ball swings back and forth, the potential and kinetic energies continuously transfer between each other, but the total energy remains the same. Therefore, the ball will swing to the same height on the other side as it was released from, without hitting the person's nose.
3. If the person gives the bowling ball a small push as it is released, it will have an additional initial velocity. This results in an increase in the ball's kinetic energy. As a result, the ball will swing higher on each side and have greater potential energy at its highest point. However, since the total mechanical energy remains constant, the kinetic energy will be converted back into potential energy as the ball swings back in the opposite direction. Therefore, the ball will swing to a higher point, but it will not hit the person's nose as long as the original setup was correct.