An object falls through the air gaining speed as it falls a student claims that this creates new energy and so it breaks the law of conservation of energy

Answer 1

The student's claim is incorrect. The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or transformed from one form to another. In the case of an object falling through the air, the energy is transferred from its initial potential energy (due to its height) to kinetic energy (motion) as it accelerates downwards.

As the object falls, its potential energy decreases, while its kinetic energy increases. This conservation of energy ensures that the total energy of the system remains constant. Therefore, no new energy is created; rather, the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy.

In reality, as the object falls through the air, it experiences air resistance, which opposes its motion. This air resistance dissipates some of the object's kinetic energy, resulting in a net loss of energy. Hence, the object does not gain energy but rather loses a portion of it due to air resistance.