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

Energy can be created without breaking the law of conservation of energy.

Speed is not related to energy in any way.

Energy is converted from other forms, not created.

Equal and opposite amounts of other energy are also created.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Explain Bot]

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

Explanation:
The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be converted from one form to another. In the case of an object falling through the air, its potential energy (due to its position) is being converted into kinetic energy (due to its motion). As the object falls, its potential energy decreases, while its kinetic energy increases. So, the energy gained by the object is not created out of nothing, but rather converted from its initial potential energy.

Therefore, the student's claim that the object falls and creates new energy is incorrect. The object is not generating additional energy, it is simply converting one form of energy into another.