In an investigation of energy transfer, a student observes a roller coaster at locations A, B, C, and D. Then she creates the graph below of the roller coaster’s potential and kinetic energy at each location.
Which statement is true according to the graph?
(1 point)
Responses
The roller coaster’s kinetic and potential energy change from location to the next, but its total energy remains the same.
The roller coaster’s kinetic and potential energy change from location to the next, but its total energy remains the same.
The roller coaster creates kinetic energy.
The roller coaster creates kinetic energy.
The roller coaster destroys potential energy.
The roller coaster destroys potential energy.
Potential energy increases, but kinetic energy does not change
The first statement is true according to the graph: "The roller coaster’s kinetic and potential energy change from location to the next, but its total energy remains the same."
The correct statement according to the graph is:
The roller coaster's kinetic and potential energy change from location to the next, but its total energy remains the same.
To determine which statement is true according to the provided graph, we need to analyze the changes in kinetic and potential energy at each location.
From the graph, we can observe that as the roller coaster moves from location A to B, the potential energy decreases while the kinetic energy increases. This indicates the conversion of potential energy into kinetic energy as the roller coaster descends.
As the roller coaster moves from location B to C, both the potential and kinetic energy decrease. This suggests that the roller coaster is gaining potential energy while losing kinetic energy, as it climbs to a higher point.
Finally, as the roller coaster moves from location C to D, the potential energy increases while the kinetic energy decreases. This shows the conversion of potential energy into kinetic energy as the roller coaster descends again.
Based on these observations, the correct statement is: "The roller coaster’s kinetic and potential energy change from location to the next, but its total energy remains the same."