Given:
The mass of the ball, m=2.5 kg
The kinetic energy of the ball, K=31 J
To find:
The potential energy of the ball at its highest point.
Step-by-step explanation:
From the law of conservation of energy, the total energy of a system will always remain constant. Thus the total energy of the ball will remain the same even if it reaches the highest point.
The total energy of the ball is the sum of its kinetic and potential energy. The kinetic energy depends on the velocity of the ball and its potential energy depends on its height. As the ball raise, the height and thus its potential energy will increase. At the same time, the velocity and thus the kinetic energy of the ball will decrease.
When the ball reaches the highest point, the velocity of the ball will be reduced to zero. Thus the ball will have zero kinetic energy. Thus at its highest point, the ball only has potential energy, which will be equal to the initial kinetic energy.
Final answer:
The potential energy of the ball at its highest point will be equal to 31 J