To determine the formula that can be entered into cell E2 of the spreadsheet to calculate the energy changes experienced by an object in free fall, we need to understand the concept of energy in free fall.
In free fall, the two primary forms of energy involved are gravitational potential energy (PE) and kinetic energy (KE). Gravitational potential energy is the energy possessed by an object due to its position relative to a reference point, and kinetic energy is the energy possessed by an object due to its motion.
To calculate the energy changes in free fall, we need to consider the initial gravitational potential energy, the final gravitational potential energy, and the initial and final kinetic energy. We can use the following formula:
Energy Change = Final Gravitational Potential Energy + Final Kinetic Energy - Initial Gravitational Potential Energy - Initial Kinetic Energy
Given that the student is using a spreadsheet application, we can assume that they have already entered the necessary values for the initial and final gravitational potential energy and the initial and final kinetic energy into other cells of the spreadsheet. Cell E2 can contain the formula to calculate the energy change using those values.
For example, assuming that the initial gravitational potential energy is in cell A2, the final gravitational potential energy is in cell B2, the initial kinetic energy is in cell C2, and the final kinetic energy is in cell D2, the formula in cell E2 would be:
= B2 + D2 - A2 - C2
This formula will give the energy change experienced by the object in free fall.