Calculating Kinetic and Potential Energy of a Ball

Explanation:

Calculating the Kinetic Energy of a Ball

The kinetic energy (KE) of an object can be calculated using the formula KE = ½mv², where m is the mass of the object and v is its velocity. For an 18kg ball traveling at 3.5m/s, the kinetic energy can be found by plugging these values into the formula: KE = 0.5 × 18kg × (3.5m/s)². Calculating this gives a kinetic energy of 110.25 J (joules).

In addition to the kinetic energy, the ball also possesses gravitational potential energy (GPE) due to its height above the ground. The potential energy can be calculated using the formula GPE = mgh, where g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8m/s² on Earth) and h is the height above the ground. At 9m above the ground, the gravitational potential energy of the ball is GPE = 18kg × 9.8m/s² × 9m = 1587.6 J.

The total mechanical energy of the ball is the sum of its kinetic and potential energies. For this 18kg ball at 9m high and traveling at 3.5m/s, the total mechanical energy would be the sum of 110.25 J and 1587.6 J, which equals 1697.85 J.