Question

Two balls, one mass 5 kg and the other of mass 10 kg are dropped simultaneously from a window. When they are 1 m above the ground, the balls have the same:

a) Kinetic energy
b) Potential energy
c) Momentum
d) Acceleration

Answer 1

When the two balls are 1 m above the ground, they have the same kinetic energy and potential energy, but their momentum is different. Their acceleration is equal.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine which properties are the same for the two balls when they are 1 m above the ground, we need to understand the concepts of kinetic energy, potential energy, momentum, and acceleration.

a) The kinetic energy of an object is given by the equation KE = 0.5 * mass * velocity^2. Since the two balls are dropped simultaneously, they both have zero velocity at 1 m above the ground, so their kinetic energies are equal.

b) The potential energy of an object near the Earth's surface is given by the equation PE = mass * gravity * height. Since the two balls have the same height and are affected by the same gravitational acceleration, their potential energies are also equal.

c) The momentum of an object is given by the equation momentum = mass * velocity. Since the two balls have different masses and velocities, their momenta are not equal.

d) The acceleration of an object near the Earth's surface is equal to the gravitational acceleration, which is approximately 9.8 m/s^2. Therefore, the acceleration of both balls is the same.