Question

A 2-kg bowling ball sits on top of a building that is 40 meters tall.

Answer 1

Okay, so this is physics. What is the meaning of KE? It's Kinetic Energy. What is the meaning of GPE? It's Gravitational Potential Energy. So how do you calculate either, and what are their significances? Kinetic -> motion, Gravitational potential energy -> energy that can be used to do work due to gravity. So is the bowling ball moving, or is it someplace it can fall from, or both?

Kinetic energy is calculated as 1/2 * mv^2, where m is the mass of the object, and v is the velocity. Potential energy for conservative forces is the product of the force and the distance over which it can do work. Thus in the case of GPE, it is the weight multiplied by the height, as gravity is a conservative force. What is the weight? It's not equal to the mass.

Hopefully these hints will get you thinking.