Final answer:
In the collision between a bowling ball and a beach ball, the beach ball gains kinetic energy because it was initially stationary and after the collision, it moved with a certain velocity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to a collision between a bowling ball and a beach ball. After the collision, the beach ball moves with a speed of 1.6 m/s. Given the law of conservation of momentum, the stationary beach ball must have gained kinetic energy due to the impact with the moving bowling ball. Answer b) The beach ball gains kinetic energy is correct because the beach ball was initially at rest and post-collision, it is moving with a certain velocity, indicating that it has gained kinetic energy.
Answer a) is incorrect because the bowling ball would not gain kinetic energy in such a collision; instead, it would lose some amount of its kinetic energy transferring some to the beach ball. Answer c) and d) can be ruled out because for a collision to be perfectly elastic, kinetic energy must be conserved, which is not necessarily the case in this scenario as the kinetic energy could have been transformed into other forms of energy such as sound or heat, or deformation of the objects.