Kinetic and Potential Energy Quick Check
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Question
An object falls through the air, gaining speed as it falls. A student claims that this creates new energy, and so it breaks the law of conservation of energy. Which statement describes why the student is incorrect?(1 point)
Responses
Equal and opposite amounts of other energy are also created.
Equal and opposite amounts of other energy are also created.
Energy can be created without breaking the law of conservation of energy.
Energy can be created without breaking the law of conservation of energy.
Speed is not related to energy in any way.
Speed is not related to energy in any way.
Energy is converted from other forms, not created
Energy is converted from other forms, not created. This is the statement that describes why the student is incorrect. The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another. In the case of the falling object, the potential energy it had at its initial height is converted to kinetic energy as it falls, but no new energy is created.
The correct answer is: Energy is converted from other forms, not created.
To understand why the student is incorrect, it is important to have a basic understanding of the law of conservation of energy. According to this law, energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be converted from one form to another.
When an object falls through the air, it gains speed due to the force of gravity. This increase in speed is related to the object's kinetic energy, which is the energy associated with motion. As the object falls, its potential energy, which is the energy stored in its position above the ground, decreases. The total energy of the object, however, remains constant because the decrease in potential energy is equal to the increase in kinetic energy.
In other words, the energy that the object gains as it falls is not new or created energy, but rather a conversion of its potential energy into kinetic energy. Thus, the student is incorrect in claiming that new energy is being created, as this would violate the law of conservation of energy.