Final answer:
The potential energy of the bouncing ball is 15 J. If the kinetic energy decreases, the potential energy will remain the same as long as the total energy remains constant.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the potential energy of a bouncing ball, we need to use the equation:
Potential Energy (PE) = Total Energy (TE) - Kinetic Energy (KE)
Given that the total energy of the ball is 20 J and its kinetic energy is 5 J, we can substitute these values into the equation:
PE = 20 J - 5 J = 15 J
Therefore, the ball's potential energy is 15 J.
If the kinetic energy of the ball decreases, the potential energy will remain the same as long as the total energy remains constant. However, if the total energy decreases, the potential energy will also decrease.