Final answer:
The law of conservation of energy states that the total amount of energy in an isolated system remains constant. Energy can be converted from one form to another, but it cannot be created or destroyed.
Step-by-step explanation:
The law of conservation of energy states that energy can be converted from one form to another, but the total amount of energy in an isolated system remains constant. This means that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed or transferred.
For example, when a ball is thrown into the air, its initial potential energy is converted into kinetic energy as it falls back down. However, the total energy of the system (the ball and the Earth) remains the same, as the kinetic energy gained by the ball is equal to the potential energy it started with. Similarly, when a light bulb is turned on, electrical energy is converted into both light and heat energy. Again, the total energy of the system (the bulb and the surrounding environment) does not change.