Multiple choice

A toy has fallen from your hands, before touching the ground it has

  1. gained kinetic energy and lost potential energy

  2. gained potential energy and lost kinetic energy

  3. gained kinetic as well as potential energy

  4. lost kinetic as well as potential energy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

As an object falls under gravity, its height decreases which reduces its gravitational potential energy (PE = mgh). This lost potential energy is converted into kinetic energy (KE = 1/2 mv^2) as the object gains speed. The total mechanical energy remains constant (ignoring air resistance), so the gain in KE exactly equals the loss in PE.

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