Question

In a lab investigation, a group of students measures the speed of a 0.1-kilogram car at 0.80 m/sec at the bottom of a hill. The car’s starting position at the top of the hill is one-meter high.Does the potential energy at the top of the hill equal the kinetic energy at the bottom of the hill? If not, where did the energy go?

A. Yes, potential energy at the top equals kinetic energy at the bottom.
B. No, potential energy at the top is greater than kinetic energy at the bottom.
C. No, potential energy at the top is less than kinetic energy at the bottom.
D. The energy is conserved, but some may be lost as heat or sound during the descent.

Answer 1

The potential energy at the top of the hill does not equal the kinetic energy at the bottom of the hill. The energy is conserved, but some may be lost as heat or sound during the descent.

Step-by-step explanation:

The potential energy at the top of the hill does not equal the kinetic energy at the bottom of the hill. According to the law of conservation of energy, energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or transformed. In this case, as the car moves down the hill, the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy. The energy is conserved as the car gains speed, but some energy may be lost as heat or sound during the descent.