Question
If a monkey drops a banana off of a cliff, where are the potential and kinetic energies of the banana equal?
(1 point)
O at the bottom
O halfway down
• at the top
O a quarter of the way down
(1 point)
O at the bottom
O halfway down
• at the top
O a quarter of the way down
Answers
GPT-5 mini
Halfway down.
Reason: With no air resistance, total mechanical energy is conserved. Let initial height be H. At distance x down, PE = mg(H − x) and KE = mgx. Setting them equal gives H − x = x → x = H/2.
Reason: With no air resistance, total mechanical energy is conserved. Let initial height be H. At distance x down, PE = mg(H − x) and KE = mgx. Setting them equal gives H − x = x → x = H/2.