A ball can be rolled down one of four different ramps, as shown below. The final elevation loss of each of the ramps is the same. Neglecting friction, for which ramp will the speed of the ball be the highest at the bottom?

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Consider the energy principles at play in this scenario. The ball starts from rest at the same vertical height for all ramps, and, neglecting friction, the only force doing work as it moves is gravity. The gravitational potential energy mgh converts into kinetic energy as the ball descends to the bottom.

Option 1: The speed of the ball will be the same for all ramps. Since the final elevation loss (the vertical drop) is identical for X, Y, Z, the total mechanical energy available at the bottom is the same for each ramp. If friction is neglected, energy conservation dictates that this energy goes into the ball’s kinetic energy, which determines the speed of the ball’s center of mass. For a rolling solid ball, the kinetic energy is split between translational and rotational parts, but the sum depends only on h, not on the path taken. Therefore the bottom speed is the same across all ramps.

Option 2: Ramp Y. If we consider path details, a longer or wavier path (as shown for Ramp Y) does not alter the final vertical drop, and with no losses, the speed at the bottom remains governed by energy conservation, not by the shape of the track. Thus this option is incorrect.

Option 3: Ramp X. Same reasoning as above applies to Ramp X; the different route does not change the total energy at the bottom when friction is neglected, so the speed does not differ due to the ramp’s curvature. This makes this option incorrect.

Option 4: Ramp Z. Although Ramp Z has a more complex shape, the energy at the bottom still comes from the same initial height loss, assuming no energy losses to friction or air resistance. Hence, Ramp Z does not yield a different bottom speed, rendering this option incorrect.

SPHY001 Practice Quiz - Unit 07 | LA047

A ball can be rolled down one of four different ramps, as shown below. The final elevation loss of each of the ramps is the same. Neglecting friction, for which ramp will the speed of the ball be the highest at the bottom?

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