Science in everyday life
Why does a ball fall?
Energy can move between stores and cross a system boundary, but for an isolated system total energy is conserved.
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The short answer
Energy can move between stores and cross a system boundary, but for an isolated system total energy is conserved.
What is really happening?
Energy can move between stores and cross a system boundary, but for an isolated system total energy is conserved.
Thinking in terms of energy often lets us solve a problem without following every detail of the motion.
A useful mental picture
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Near Earth, gravity accelerates a released object downward. As it falls, gravitational potential energy is converted mainly into kinetic energy, with air resistance transferring some energy to the surroundings.