How can the speed of a ball released from a track be ranked at points A, B, C, and D?

To understand the ranking of the speed of the ball at different points along the track, we can apply the principles of conservation of energy, particularly the conversion between potential energy and kinetic energy.

When the ball is released from a height, it has maximum potential energy and minimal kinetic energy. As it travels down the track, potential energy decreases while kinetic energy increases, causing the speed of the ball to increase as it descends.

At point A, which is likely at the highest elevation, the ball will have the lowest speed because it has the maximum potential energy. As the ball moves to point C (lower down the track), it gains speed as it loses potential energy.

Points B and D are at intermediate elevations. If point C is the lowest point, we expect the ball to have the highest speed there. B and D, being at higher elevations than C but possibly at the same elevation as each other, will typically have the same or slightly less speed than at C, but more than at A. Therefore, since B and D are at equivalent heights, it’s reasonable to conclude that they can be considered to have equal speed.

This results in the speed ranking as C (highest speed) being greater than both B and D, which are