Question

A cyclist coasts down one hill and up another hill until she comes to a stop. The point at which the bicycle stops is lower than the point at which it started coasting because part of the original potential energy has been converted to a quantity of heat and this makes the tires of the bicycle warm.

a) True
b) False

Answer 1

When a cyclist coasts down one hill and up another hill until they come to a stop, the point at which the bicycle stops is lower than the point at which it started coasting because part of the original potential energy is converted into heat.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement is true. When a cyclist coasts down one hill and up another hill until they come to a stop, the point at which the bicycle stops is indeed lower than the point at which it started coasting. This is because part of the original potential energy of the cyclist is converted into a quantity of heat, which makes the tires of the bicycle warm.

As the cyclist descends the first hill, some of their potential energy is converted into kinetic energy. However, due to factors like air resistance and friction, some of this kinetic energy is converted into heat. This causes the tires of the bicycle to warm up. When the cyclist reaches the bottom of the hill and starts ascending the second hill, the potential energy gained is less than the original potential energy at the start of the first hill. This is why the point where the bicycle stops is lower than the starting point.