A ball rolls back and forth on the track shown. The kinetic energy at position A will be _________ than that at position B.
A) greater
B) smaller
C) the same as

Question

A ball rolls back and forth on the track shown. The kinetic energy at position A will be _________ than that at position B.
A) greater 
B) smaller 
C) the same as

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The kinetic energy of the ball is directly proportional to its speed (KE = 1/2mv^2), and the speed of the ball is highest at position B because it has just completed its descent and is about to start ascending again. Therefore, the kinetic energy at position A will be smaller than that at position B.

A Ball Rolls Back and Forth on the Track Shown