Rebecca climbs the ladder of a large water slide, waits her turn at the top, and then slides down the slide into a pool. Which answer best describes the energy changes during her time on the slide?(1 point)

Question

Responses

kinetic → mechanical → potential
kinetic → mechanical → potential

potential → mechanical → kinetic
potential → mechanical → kinetic

potential → kinetic → potential
potential → kinetic → potential

kinetic → potential → kinetic

Answer 1

The best answer that describes the energy changes during Rebecca's time on the slide is:

potential → mechanical → kinetic

Here's the breakdown of the energy changes:

1. Potential Energy: At the top of the ladder, Rebecca has gravitational potential energy due to her height.
2. Mechanical Energy: As she slides down, her potential energy is converted into kinetic energy (and some mechanical energy is involved in the movement along the slide).
3. Kinetic Energy: At the bottom of the slide, her potential energy is converted into kinetic energy as she moves faster.

Once she reaches the pool, some of that kinetic energy is converted again, but primarily the relevant change during the slide is from potential to kinetic.