Final answer:
Mechanical energy is associated with the movement of objects, and when pedaling a bicycle, mechanical work is done to overcome forces like friction. Other options like listening to music or a resting pencil do not involve motion and thus are not examples of mechanical work. Mechanical work is part of broader concepts like bioenergetics and thermodynamics, which describe energy transfer including but not limited to mechanical energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mechanical energy is the energy that is associated with the position and motion of an object. An object in motion possesses kinetic energy, which is a form of mechanical energy. For example, when you are pedaling a bicycle, the mechanical energy is used to overcome resistance like friction and air drag, moving the bicycle forward. The energy required to move an object of mass m through a distance d when opposed by a force F, such as gravity, is known as mechanical work.
Listening to music, a pencil on a desk, and photosynthesis, are not directly examples of mechanical work. In photosynthesis, light energy is converted into chemical energy, not mechanical. When listening to music, sound waves are processed by our auditory system, which does not involve the mechanical energy of objects in motion. A pencil resting on a desk does not have kinetic energy as it is not moving; however, it may have potential energy due to its position in the gravity field if it's positioned in such a way that it could fall.
In terms of bioenergetics and thermodynamics, these concepts describe how energy flows through living systems and how energy is exchanged between systems, respectively, which can include mechanical work but also encompass a broader range of energy transformations.
Essential Knowledge 4.C.2 from physics curricula shows that mechanical energy is transferred in and out of a system via work, and this process is governed by conservation laws - energy is always conserved in a closed system.