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Ch.1 - Introduction: Matter, Energy, and Measurement

Chapter 1, Problem 28

A soccer ball is dropped out of a window on the second floor of a dormitory to the ground below. Which of the following statements is or are true?

i. The kinetic energy of the ball is greatest at the time it is dropped out the window.

ii. As the ball falls, potential energy is converted into kinetic energy.

iii. The potential energy of the ball is due to the force of gravity acting on it.

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Video transcript

Hi everyone for this problem we're told when a skydiver jumps off a plane there, kinetic energy increases. We want to know where did the kinetic energy come from? So let's go ahead and map this out. We have a skydiver jumping off of a plane. When the skydiver jumps off of a plane, their height decreases so they experience a decrease in their height. This decrease in height also leads to a decrease and gravitational potential energy. Okay, This gravitational potential energy is converted to kinetic energy, which is the speed increasing. Okay, so and the answer to this is that the kinetic energy is coming from gravitational potential energy. Okay. Because a decrease in the height leads to a decrease in gravitational potential energy that is then converted to kinetic energy. Okay, I hope this was helpful.