Question

A ball is dropped from the top of a building. When does the ball have the most kinetic energy? as it is released just before it hits the ground half way through the fall after it has hit the ground

Answer 1

The ball possesses maximum kinetic energy just before it hits the ground due to the conversion of potential energy into kinetic as it falls. After hitting the ground, if it stops, kinetic energy is zero. The loss of kinetic energy in a bouncing ball is due to energy transformed into heat, sound, and inelastic deformation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The ball has the most kinetic energy just before it hits the ground because kinetic energy increases as the ball accelerates due to gravity. At the point of release, the ball has potential energy and no kinetic energy because it is not yet moving. As it falls, this potential energy is converted into kinetic energy, so halfway through the fall, the ball has significant kinetic energy, but not the maximum. After the ball hits the ground, if it comes to a stop, its kinetic energy becomes zero. Therefore, the ball's kinetic energy is highest just before impact with the ground.

When discussing the energy loss of a rubber ball that does not bounce back to its original height, it is important to understand that some of the kinetic energy is transformed into other forms of energy, such as heat and sound, during the collision with the floor. The loss of kinetic energy can also be attributed to the deformation of the ball and the surface it bounces on, where some energy is used to change the shape of the materials (inelastic deformation). This means that not all of the energy the ball had before the collision is available to convert back into kinetic energy for the bounce up, thereby resulting in a lower height reached after the bounce.

Answer 2

as it is released just before it hits the ground

Step-by-step explanation:

By conservation of energy principle the total energy of a closed system is conserved.

At the release of the ball it has no kinetic energy (K.E). but has maximum potential energy (P.E.)

As ball just before hitting the ground it has no P.P.So alll energy has to converted to K.E. So maximum K.E. will be found as just before it hits the ground.