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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. Energy can be created without breaking the law of conservation of energy.
2. Equal and opposite amounts of other energy are also created
3. Speed is not related to energy in any way.
4. Energy is converted from other forms, not created.

4. Energy is converted from other forms, not created.

The correct statement that describes why the student is incorrect is statement 4: Energy is converted from other forms, not created.

According to the law of conservation of energy, energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be converted from one form to another. In the case of an object falling through the air, its kinetic energy increases as it falls. However, this increase in kinetic energy is due to the conversion of potential energy (associated with the object's height) into kinetic energy (associated with its motion). No new energy is created, but rather the existing energy is converted from one form to another.

The correct statement that describes why the student is incorrect is option 4: Energy is converted from other forms, not created. The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be converted from one form to another. In the case of an object falling through the air, the energy is not being created but rather converted from its initial potential energy to kinetic energy as the object gains speed while falling. The potential energy, which is determined by the object's position in the gravitational field, is being converted into kinetic energy, which is related to the object's speed. So, the student's claim that new energy is being created is not accurate; instead, the energy is simply being converted from one form to another.