Suppose you have two equal mass objects both on a gentle incline. One is a glider on an air track while the other is a ball on a straight slope. The air track and the slope have the same slope angle. You release them at the same time and at the same distance from the bottom of the slope. You note that neither loses any significant amount of energy to friction as the air track has very low friction and the ball rolls down without slipping or sliding.
a) Explain what type of energy both objects have just before they are released. Do both objects initially have the same amount of energy? Explain what type of energy both objects have just before they reach the bottom of the slope. Do both objects have the same amount of energy when they reach the bottom of the slope?