Question

Carly was playing with a rubber band. She stretched the rubber band between two of

her fingers and aimed up at the ceiling. She let one end of the rubber band go, and
the rubber band flew away from her hands. The rubber band touched the ceiling and
fell back down. When was the MOST gravitational potential energy stored between the rubber band and the Earth? Assume that the rubber band's mass did not change.


A. When the rubber band was stretched between Carly's fingers

B. When the rubber band flew away from Carly's hands

C. When the rubber band touched the ceiling ​

Answer 1

The rubber band had the most gravitational potential energy stored when it touched the ceiling because gravitational potential energy is highest at the greatest height.

Step-by-step explanation:

The gravitational potential energy stored between the rubber band and the Earth would be at its maximum when the rubber band touched the ceiling. This is because gravitational potential energy (U) is directly related to an object's height (h) above the ground and is given by the formula U = mgh, where m is the mass of the object and g is the acceleration due to gravity. When Carly stretches the rubber band between her fingers, it has elastic potential energy, not gravitational. As it flies away from her hands and moves upward towards the ceiling, it gains height and thus gravitational potential energy. At the highest point when the rubber band touches the ceiling, it has reached its maximum height and, in turn, its maximum gravitational potential energy. As the rubber band falls back down, it loses gravitational potential energy and gains kinetic energy (as indicated by its increasing speed on the way down).

Answer 2

Choice-C is the one to pick.

Gravitational potential energy depends on height, and the ceiling is the highest place in the rubber band's travels.