As an object falls how are kinetic and potential energy related?
As an object falls, its potential energy decreases, and its kinetic energy increases. The relationship between potential and kinetic energy can be described using the principle of conservation of energy, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or transformed.
Initially, when the object is at rest at a height above the ground, it possesses potential energy due to its position in the gravitational field. This potential energy is given by the equation:
Potential Energy = mass x gravity x height
As the object falls, it loses height, thereby decreasing its potential energy. At the same time, the object gains speed and velocity, which results in an increase in kinetic energy. The kinetic energy is given by the equation:
Kinetic Energy = (1/2) x mass x velocity^2
According to the principle of conservation of energy, the decrease in potential energy is equal to the increase in kinetic energy, neglecting any external forces such as air resistance. This means that as potential energy decreases, kinetic energy increases by the same amount, maintaining the total energy of the system.