Question

potential or kinetic energy?
directions: read each example below and write p or k on the line.

1. an egg sitting on the kitchen counter, about to roll onto the floor. — p
2. a baseball in the air, thrown from the catcher back to the pitcher. —
3. a roller coaster at the top of the hill about to go down the big hill. —
4. a soccer player running around the soccer field —
5. the batter is about to swing the bat. —
6. a sled going down a snowy hill. —
7. a skydiver about to jump out of a plane. —
8. an apple falling out of a tree. —
9. a deer running across a field. —
10. a kangaroo in mid - jump about to come back down to the ground. —
11. a basketball sitting on the edge of the rim about to fall in the hoop. —
12. a runner running in a marathon. —
13. an acorn about to fall out of the tree to the ground. —

Explanation:

• 1. An egg sitting on the kitchen counter, about to roll onto the floor: It has the potential to move (roll), so it has potential energy ($P$).
• 2. A baseball in the air, thrown from the catcher back to the pitcher: The baseball is in motion, so it has kinetic energy ($K$).
• 3. A roller - coaster at the top of the hill about to go down the big hill: It has the potential to move down the hill, so it has potential energy ($P$).
• 4. A soccer player running around the soccer field: The player is in motion, so it has kinetic energy ($K$).
• 5. The batter is about to swing the bat: The bat has the potential to move (swing), so it has potential energy ($P$).
• 6. A sled going down a snowy hill: The sled is in motion, so it has kinetic energy ($K$).
• 7. A skydiver about to jump out of a plane: The skydiver has the potential to move (fall), so it has potential energy ($P$).
• 8. An apple falling out of a tree: The apple is in motion, so it has kinetic energy ($K$).
• 9. A deer running across a field: The deer is in motion, so it has kinetic energy ($K$).
• 10. A kangaroo in mid - jump about to come back down to the ground: At the mid - jump, it has both potential (due to height) and kinetic (due to upward motion) energy. But if we consider the state “about to come back down”, it still has the potential to move down further, so we can say $P$ (if we focus on the potential aspect of its position in the jump).
• 11. A basketball sitting on the edge of the rim about to fall in the hoop: It has the potential to move (fall into the hoop), so it has potential energy ($P$).
• 12. A runner running in a marathon: The runner is in motion, so it has kinetic energy ($K$).
• 13. An acorn about to fall out of the tree to the ground: It has the potential to move (fall), so it has potential energy ($P$).

Answer:

1. $P$
2. $K$
3. $P$
4. $K$
5. $P$
6. $K$
7. $P$
8. $K$
9. $K$
10. $P$
11. $P$
12. $K$
13. $P$