Question

Eliana made a device that launches a magnet several meters. She put two strong magnets into a narrow tube so that the north poles of the magnets faced each other. She made a way to hold the magnets in place very close together. When one of the magnets was released, it began to move very quickly away from the other magnet.

Which statement best describes the transfer of energy that happened when Eliana used this device?
A) The magnet that did not move transferred kinetic energy to the other magnet, and the magnet that moved transferred potential energy to the other magnet.
B) The magnets stored kinetic energy while they were close together, and they transferred this energy to the surroundings when one of them was released.
C) The energy that was used to move the magnets next to each other was stored in a magnetic field, and then it was converted to kinetic energy when a magnet was released.
D) Kinetic energy was stored in the magnets when they were moved next to each other, and it was converted to potential energy when the magnet was released.

Answer 1

The best description for the transfer of energy when the magnet is released is the conversion of energy stored in the magnetic field, which is potential energy, to kinetic energy when the magnet starts moving away rapidly.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that best describes the transfer of energy when Eliana used the device is: "The energy that was used to move the magnets next to each other was stored in a magnetic field, and then it was converted to kinetic energy when a magnet was released." This describes the process where the potential energy stored in the system due to the magnets being forced into a position where they repel each other is converted to kinetic energy when one of the magnets is released and moves away rapidly from the other magnet.

Potential energy, in this case, is the energy matter possesses due to the positioning or structure of its components. When the magnet is released, the potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy, which propels the magnet forward.