What happens to the bowling ball's work done by gravity when it is resting on a flat surface?

When a bowling ball is resting on a flat surface, the work done by gravity is considered to be zero. Work is defined as the product of the force acting on an object and the displacement in the direction of that force. In the case of the bowling ball on the flat surface, although gravity is indeed acting on the ball and pulling it downward, there is no vertical displacement occurring. Since the ball is at rest on the surface, it does not move in the direction of the gravitational force, which means that the displacement is zero.

Thus, since work is calculated by the equation ( \text{Work} = \text{Force} \times \text{Displacement} ), and the displacement is zero, the work done by gravity on the bowling ball is also zero. This situation illustrates a fundamental principle in physics regarding how work is only done when a force causes an object to move through a distance in the direction of that force.