Question

Ball 1 is thrown to the ground with an initial downward speed; ball 2 is dropped to the ground from rest.

a.) Assuming the balls have the same mass and are released from the same height, is the change in gravitational potential energy of ball 1 greater than, less than, or equal to the change in gravitational potential energy of ball 2?

Assuming the balls have the same mass and are released from the same height, is the change in gravitational potential energy of ball 1 greater than, less than, or equal to the change in gravitational potential energy of ball 2?
greater than the change in gravitational potential energy of ball 2
less than the change in gravitational potential energy of ball 2
equal to the change in gravitational potential energy of ball 2

b.) Choose the best explanation from among the following:
Ball 1 has the greater total energy, and therefore more energy can go into gravitational potential energy.
The gravitational potential energy depends only on the mass of the ball and the drop height.
All of the initial energy of ball 2 is gravitational potential energy.

Answer 1

equal to the change in gravitational potential energy of ball 2.

Step-by-step explanation:

Change in gravitational potential energy is equal to work done by gravitational force on the body .

work done = force x displacement

force = mg

displacement = height ( h )

change in gravitational energy = mgh

Since mass is same in both the cases , g is also the same in both the cases and h too is same in both the cases . change in gravitational energy will be same in both the cases. Initial velocity will have no affect on the result at all.