Final answer:
The work done on a 0.60-kg basketball dropped from a height of 6.1m and caught at 1.5m is calculated using the formula W = mgh, resulting in 27.048 Joules of work done by gravity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking how much work is done on a basketball by its weight when it is dropped from a window that is 6.1 meters above the ground and caught by a person whose hands are 1.5 meters above the ground. To calculate the work done on the basketball by its weight, we use the formula W = m * g * h, where W is the work done by the gravitational force, m is the mass of the object, g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s2), and h is the change in height. Since the basketball falls a distance of 6.1 m - 1.5 m = 4.6 m, the work done by gravity is:
W = 0.60 kg * 9.8 m/s2 * 4.6 m
W = 27.048 Joules (rounded to three significant figures)
Therefore, the work done on the basketball by its weight is 27.048 Joules.