Where Does Absorbed Kinetic Energy Go?

AI Thread Summary
Kinetic energy, when absorbed by an object, transforms into various forms of energy rather than disappearing. In the example of a boulder hitting marshmallows, the boulder's kinetic energy is absorbed, causing it to stop. This absorbed energy is converted into deformation of the marshmallows, potential energy, and internal energy, which involves the random motion of molecules. Additionally, some energy may be released as sound. Overall, absorbed kinetic energy is not lost but rather redistributed into different energy forms.
tpluss
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We all know the theory that energy never dies, that it is only transformed into a different type of energy.
Well, I was wondering, when kinetic energy is absorbed by an item, what happens to the energy? If the kinetic energy is not transferred to the object, but absorbed, then where does the energy go?
 
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deformation or potential energy
 
I'm not sure what you mean by kinetic energy being "absorbed". Kinetic energy is the energy of movement.
 
Snazzy said:
I'm not sure what you mean by kinetic energy being "absorbed". Kinetic energy is the energy of movement.

If an item that has kinetic energy impacts something with no kinetic energy and the item that is impacted does not move, then the kinetic energy is absorbed.

In other words: If a boulder is falling off of a cliff and it hits a gigantic mass of marshmallows, the marshmallows would absorb the boulder's remaining kinetic energy causing the boulder to stop.

So tell me, what happened to that absorbed kinetic energy?
I do not think it becomes potential energy because potential energy is characterized by how much an object is prone to have kinetic energy (or how much an object is prone to fall down).
 
The macroscopic KE will be transformed into a combination of deformation, potential energy, and internal energy (random motion of the molecules). (And maybe even a bit of sound energy.)
 
Doc Al said:
The macroscopic KE will be transformed into a combination of deformation, potential energy, and internal energy (random motion of the molecules). (And maybe even a bit of sound energy.)

That was a really good description, I think that answers my question well enough. :D
 

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