Final answer:
The Law of Energy Conservation dictates that total energy in a closed system remains constant; thus, a skate park character reaches the same height on both sides due to energy conversion, while a roller coaster loses height due to real-life energy losses like friction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Law of Energy Conservation explains that in a closed system without external work being done or energy losses such as friction or air resistance, the total energy remains constant. In the skate park scenario, a character reaches the same maximum height on both sides because all potential energy (PE) converts to kinetic energy (KE) and vice versa as they move, maintaining total mechanical energy. On the roller coaster, the car does not reach the same maximum height as the initial hill due to real-life factors like friction and air resistance that dissipate mechanical energy, which is not encompassed in an ideal conservation scenario.
In both scenarios, energy transformations between KE and PE illustrate energy conservation. However, in real-life situations, other factors such as friction lead to energy loss, which is why a roller coaster cannot climb to the height of the initial hill after the first descent.