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sayetsu
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If I hold a ball above the ground, it has potential energy. Once gravity pulls on it, it becomes kinetic. What is gravity and how does it convert one kind of energy to another?
That's a common misconception often asserted in textbooks and websites. Here is the correct way to see it.sayetsu said:If I hold a ball above the ground, it has potential energy.
Gravity converts potential energy to kinetic energy by pulling objects towards the center of the Earth. As an object falls, its potential energy decreases and its kinetic energy increases. This is due to the force of gravity accelerating the object towards the Earth's surface.
Potential energy is the energy an object has due to its position or state. In the case of gravity, potential energy is the energy an object has due to its height above the ground.
Kinetic energy is the energy an object has due to its motion. In the case of gravity, kinetic energy is the energy an object has as it falls towards the Earth's surface.
Potential energy due to gravity is calculated using the formula PE = mgh, where m is the mass of the object, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height of the object above the ground.
The conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy causes an object to accelerate towards the Earth's surface. As the object falls, its potential energy decreases and its kinetic energy increases, resulting in a faster descent.