Question

The rock in the picture is pushed over the edge and it begins to fall. Which type of energy conversion is taking place?

Answer 1

From gravitational potential to kinetic energy

Step-by-step explanation:

There are two types of energy involved in this process:

- Gravitational potential energy: it is the energy possessed by the rock due to its position. It is given by

`GPE=mgh`

where

m is the mass of the rock

g is the acceleration due to gravity

h is the height of the rock above the ground

- Kinetic energy: it is the energy possessed by the rock due to its motion. It is given by

`KE=(1)/(2)mv^2`

where

m is the mass of the rock

v is its speed

At the beginning, when the rock is on top of the cliff, it has GPE (because its height h is non-zero), while being at rest, its KE is zero.

As the rock falls down, its GPE decreases (as the height h decreases), and at the same time, its KE increases (as the speed increases).

So, the energy has been converted from gravitational potential to kinetic energy.