Kendra loves rolling down hills. She finds a steep hill to roll down. As she is rolling, when is her kinetic energy most likely the highest?

Question

A). at the bottom of the hill right before she stops rolling

B). at the top of the hill right before she has started rolling down the hill

C). at the bottom of the hill just as she has stopped rolling

D). just after the top of the hill right as she starts rolling down the hill

Answer 1

Kendra's kinetic energy is most likely highest when she is in motion and at her fastest. As she rolls down the hill, she converts potential energy (due to her height at the top of the hill) into kinetic energy (due to her motion).

The correct answer is:

A) at the bottom of the hill right before she stops rolling.

At this point, Kendra has converted most of her potential energy into kinetic energy, resulting in her having the highest speed and thus the highest kinetic energy.