Halliday, Resnick & Walker — Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy: Problem 10

(a) In Problem 3, what is the speed of the book when it reaches the hands? (b) If we substituted a second book with twice the mass, what would its speed be? (c) If, instead, the book were thrown down, would the answer to (a) increase, decrease, or remain the same? [Reference Problem 3: You drop a 2.00 kg book to a friend who stands on the ground at distance \( D = 10.0 \text{ m} \) below. Your friend's outstretched hands are at distance \( d = 1.50 \text{ m} \) above the ground.]