The student's claim that an object falling through the air creates new energy and thus breaks the law of conservation of energy is incorrect. The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.
When an object falls, it is converting potential energy (the energy it has due to its height above the ground) into kinetic energy (the energy of motion). As the object falls, it speeds up, which means its kinetic energy increases. The potential energy decreases correspondingly. The total mechanical energy (the sum of potential and kinetic energy) in an ideal scenario (ignoring air resistance) remains constant throughout the fall.
In a real-world scenario, such as when an object falls through the air, some energy is indeed lost to air resistance (drag), which converts some kinetic energy into thermal energy, but this does not mean that new energy is created. Rather, energy is being transferred and transformed, always adhering to the principle of conservation of energy.
In summary, while the object gains speed (and thus kinetic energy) as it falls, it does not create new energy; it merely converts potential energy into kinetic energy, and in a more complex scenario, it may also convert some energy into thermal energy due to air resistance.