Question

A marble, a bowling ball, a basketball, and a baseball are all sitting on the top shelf of a display case. Which one has the greatest potential energy?

marble
bowling ball
basketball baseball
cannot be determined

Answer 1

Bowling Ball

Step-by-step explanation:

The potential energy depends on the factors: mass of the object and distance between the two objects. In this case the distance is between the ground and the balls. Here, the bowling ball is heaviest and its center of mass is farthest in comparison to other two balls. Thus, it has the greatest potential energy.