17. At point A, the snowboarder has potential energy
Explanation:
There are two types of energy involved here:
- Gravitational potential energy: this is the energy related to the height of the snowboarder, and it is given by [tex]U=mgh[/tex], where m is the mass of the snowboarder, g is the gravitational acceleration and h is the height of the snowboarder relative to the ground
- Kinetic energy: this is the energy related to the motion of the snowboarder, and it is given by [tex]K=\frac{1}{2}mv^2[/tex], where v is the speed of the snowboarder
We see that at point A the snowboarder is located at a higher point, so h is larger, therefore he has gravitational potential energy.
18. From point C to point B, kinetic energy is converted into potential energy
Explanation:
The law of conservation of energy states that the mechanical energy (sum of potential and kinetic energy: [tex]E=U+K[/tex]) is constant. At point C, the snowboarder is located at height h=0, so he only has kinetic energy (in fact, its speed is maximum at point C). As he moves towards point B, he increases his height: therefore, its potential energy increases, while his kinetic energy decreases (this implies that his speed decreases as well). Therefore, kinetic energy is converted into potential energy.