Suppose all of the apples have a mass of 0.10 kg and one of the apples in the bowl (C) is 1.0 meter off the ground. If the apple (C) falls from the table, what is the maximum kinetic energy it can gain?

The answer is 0.98J.

Solving for potential energy (PE) is given by the equation,

PE = mgh

where m is mass, g is gravitational constant, and h is distance. Substituting the known values,

PE = (0.10 kg) (9.8 m/s²) (1 m) = 0.98 J

and kinetic energy,

KE = 0.5 mv²

where v is the final velocity which can be solved by using the concept for free-falling bodies,

d = v² / 2g

Substituting,

1 m = v²/2 (9.8 m/s²); v = 3.13 m/s

So, the KE

KE = 0.5 (0.10 kg) (3.13 m/s) ² = 0.49 J