A 1250-kg wrecking ball is lifted to a height of 12.7 m above its resting point. When the wrecking ball is released, it swings toward an abandoned building and makes an indentation of 43.7 cm in the wall.
(a) What is the potential energy of the wrecking ball at a height of 12.7 m?
(b) What is its kinetic energy as it strikes the wall?
(c) If the wrecking ball transfers all of its kinetic energy to the wall, how much force does the wrecking ball apply to the wall?
(d) Why should a wrecking ball strike a wall at the lowest point in its swing?