This has a two word answer: sun's heat. The faster moving molecules near the ocean's surface are provided with enough energy from the sun to escape the surface they are near.
Explanation:
a) The height of the ball h with respect to the reference line is

so its initial gravitational potential energy
is



b) To find the speed of the ball at the reference point, let's use the conservation law of energy:

We know that the initial kinetic energy
as well as its final gravitational potential energy
are zero so we can write the conservation law as

Note that the mass gets cancelled out and then we solve for the velocity v as



Answer:
4 half-lives will occur during this period of time.
Explanation:
Formula used :



where,
a = amount of reactant left after n-half lives and time t
= Initial amount of the reactant.
decay constant
= half life of an isotope
n = number of half lives
We have :

a = ?
t = 552 days





n = 4
4 half-lives will occur during this period of time.