Question

consider the falling of a rock off a cliff into seawater and eventually settling at the bottom of the sea. rank the energy transfers and transformations involved during this process.

Answer 1

When a rock falls off a cliff into seawater and settles at the bottom of the sea, the energy transformations involved include the conversion of gravitational potential energy to kinetic energy, the transfer of kinetic energy to thermal energy upon impact with the water, and the conversion of some thermal energy back into potential energy when the rock settles at the bottom of the sea.

Step-by-step explanation:

The energy transfers and transformations involved in the falling of a rock off a cliff into seawater and eventually settling at the bottom of the sea can be ranked as follows:

1. Gravitational Potential Energy to Kinetic Energy: As the rock falls off the cliff, its gravitational potential energy is converted into kinetic energy.
2. Kinetic Energy to Thermal Energy: As the rock enters the seawater and collides with it, some of its kinetic energy is transferred to the water in the form of thermal energy.
3. Thermal Energy to Potential Energy: Once the rock settles at the bottom of the sea, some of the thermal energy is converted back into potential energy as the rock rests against the sea floor.