A person throws a ball up into the air, and the ball falls back towards earth. At which point would the kinetic energy be the lowest?
At a point before the ball hits the ground
at a point when the ball is still rising
when the ball leaves the persons hand
when the ball is at its highest point
The kinetic energy of an object is the energy it possesses due to its motion. Kinetic energy is directly proportional to the square of the object's velocity. Therefore, the lowest kinetic energy occurs when the velocity is the lowest.
At a point before the ball hits the ground: As the ball falls towards the ground, its velocity increases. Therefore, the kinetic energy is higher compared to other points.
When the ball is still rising: As the ball moves upwards, its velocity decreases. However, it will have a higher kinetic energy compared to the lowest point because it still has some velocity.
When the ball leaves the person's hand: The ball starts with an initial velocity when thrown, so it has some kinetic energy at the beginning.
When the ball is at its highest point: At the highest point, the ball momentarily stops moving upwards before it starts falling down. Its velocity is momentarily zero at this point, resulting in the lowest kinetic energy among the given options.