A baseball is sitting on a raised bench. A player accidentally knocks the baseball off the bench. Which statement best describes what will happen to the baseball’s energy during its fall?

Question

Responses

All of the baseball’s potential energy will be converted to kinetic energy.

The baseball will lose kinetic energy during its fall.

None of the baseball’s potential energy will be converted to kinetic energy.

Most of the baseball’s potential energy will be converted to kinetic energy.

Answer 1

The statement that best describes what will happen to the baseball’s energy during its fall is:

All of the baseball’s potential energy will be converted to kinetic energy.

As the baseball falls, its potential energy (due to its height above the ground) is converted into kinetic energy (the energy of motion) as it accelerates downward. In an ideal scenario without air resistance, the potential energy is fully converted to kinetic energy just before it reaches the ground.