A person throws a ball up into the air, and the ball falls back toward Earth. At which point would the kinetic energy be the lowest?

Question

options:

A). at a point before the ball hits the ground

B). when the ball leaves the person’s hand

C). at a point when the ball is still rising

D). when the ball is at its highest point

Answer 1

The kinetic energy of an object is the energy it possesses due to its motion. In the case of the ball being thrown upwards:

• When the ball leaves the person's hand, it has some initial kinetic energy as it is in motion.
• As the ball rises, its kinetic energy decreases because it is moving against the force of gravity until it reaches the highest point.
• At its highest point, the ball momentarily comes to a stop; therefore, its kinetic energy is at its lowest (which is zero).
• As it starts to fall back down, its kinetic energy increases again until it reaches the ground.

Given this information, the correct answer is:

D). when the ball is at its highest point.