Question

A student is investigating the transfer of energy between potential and kinetic. The student observes a roller coaster at four locations on the track and creates a graph based on her observations.

What conclusion can be made based on the graph?
A.Kinetic and potential energy change, but total energy stays the same.
B.Potential energy is increased, but kinetic energy stays the same.
C.Kinetic energy is created during a roller coaster ride.
D.Potential energy is destroyed during a roller coaster ride.

Answer 1

I am not sure what the graph looks like, so I don’t know which parts of the roller coaster is marked. However, I believe the answer is C: Kinetic energy is created during a roller coaster ride, since a roller coaster typically has a lot of built up potential energy that converts to kinetic energy when the roller falls from a large hill on the tracks.

Answer 2

A.Kinetic and potential energy change, but total energy stays the same.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the Principle of Energy Conservation, the energy is not created nor destroyed, but transformed. Given the absence of non-conservative or external forces, it is conducted that total energy is the sum of potential and kinetic energy, whose proportion changes in the process. Neither potential energy nor kinetic energy are destroyed or created. Therefore, the answer is A.