Question

Consider a system in which a boulder perched on the top of a mountain that falls down the side of the mountain. Which of the following is false about this system?

(A) The potential energy of the system is higher when the boulder is on top of the mountain than when it is on the ground
(B) The system becomes more stable after the boulder falls
(C) The system consists of both the boulder and the earth
(D) The attractive force acting on the system is gravity
(E) Potential energy increases as the boulder falls

Answer 1

The false statement about this system is that it becomes more stable after the boulder falls.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this system, the potential energy of the boulder is higher when it is on top of the mountain compared to when it is on the ground, so option A is true, not false.

As the boulder falls down the mountain, potential energy is converted to kinetic energy, so potential energy decreases and kinetic energy increases, which means that option E is true, not false.

Therefore, the false statement about this system is option B. The system does not become more stable after the boulder falls. In fact, the system reaches its most stable state when the boulder is at the bottom of the mountain where potential energy is at its minimum and kinetic energy is at its maximum.