When a player throws a baseball straight up and it reaches a higher point before falling back down, the key changes that occur relate to kinetic and potential energy.
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The ball will have greater kinetic energy at the top of its path. - This statement is incorrect. At the top of its path, the ball's velocity is zero, meaning its kinetic energy is also zero.
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The ball will have greater potential energy at the top of its path. - This statement is correct. The potential energy of the ball increases with height. A higher throw results in greater potential energy at the top.
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The ball will have more potential energy than kinetic energy when it is halfway back down to the player’s hand. - This statement is not necessarily correct. At the halfway point back down, the ball will have equal amounts of kinetic and potential energy (assuming no energy is lost to air resistance).
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The ball will have more kinetic energy than potential energy when it is halfway back down to the player’s hand. - This statement is correct. When the ball is halfway down, it is moving faster than at the top, which leads to more kinetic energy being present compared to potential energy.
Therefore, the correct change that occurs when the player throws the ball higher and catches it is:
The ball will have greater potential energy at the top of its path.
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