Energy, Motion, and Force Unit Test

Question

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Question
A player throws a baseball straight up so that the ball rises and then falls back down to the player’s hand. Which of the following changes will occur if the player throws the ball up higher and then catches it?(1 point)
Responses

The ball will have greater kinetic energy at the top of its path.
The ball will have greater kinetic energy at the top of its path.

The ball will have greater potential energy at the top of its path.
The ball will have greater potential energy at the top of its path.

The ball will have more kinetic energy than potential energy when it is half-way back down to the player’s hand.
The ball will have more kinetic energy than potential energy when it is half-way back down to the player’s hand.

The ball will have more potential energy than kinetic energy when it is half-way back down to the player’s hand.

Answer 1

To answer the question, it's important to consider the principles of energy, kinetic energy, and potential energy involved when the baseball is thrown straight up and then falls back down.

1. Kinetic Energy at the Top of its Path: The kinetic energy is greatest when the ball is thrown (at the bottom) and decreases as it goes up until it reaches the highest point, where it becomes zero. Thus, throwing the baseball higher does not increase kinetic energy at the top of its path.

2. Potential Energy at the Top of its Path: Potential energy increases with height. If the player throws the ball higher, then at the highest point of its path, the potential energy will indeed be greater due to the increase in height.

3. Kinetic Energy vs. Potential Energy Halfway Back Down: When the ball is halfway back down, it will have a mix of kinetic and potential energy. As per the conservation of energy, at the halfway point on the way down, the ball does not necessarily have more kinetic energy than potential energy, as this closely depends on the height from which it was thrown. However, in most cases, it tends to have more kinetic energy than potential energy when it is halfway down because it is moving faster as it approaches the ground.

4. Potential Energy vs. Kinetic Energy Halfway Back Down: Similar logic applies here; when the ball is halfway down, it will generally have more kinetic energy unless very specifically calculated otherwise for certain initial conditions.

Considering these points, the correct response to the question is:

The ball will have greater potential energy at the top of its path.