Final answer:
The mass of the bowling ball is found using the gravitational potential energy formula, yielding a mass of approximately 4.49 kg.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the mass of the bowling ball, we can use the formula for gravitational potential energy (GPE), which is GPE = mgh, where m is the mass in kilograms, g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s² on Earth), and h is the height in meters. Given that the GPE is 88 Joules and the ball is lifted a distance of 2 meters, we can rearrange the formula to solve for mass (m).
The formula will be m = GPE / (gh). Plugging the values in, we get m = 88 J / (9.8 m/s² * 2 m), which simplifies to m = 88 / 19.6, and this gives us the mass of the bowling ball as approximately 4.49 kg.