What occurs to potential energy as an object falls?

As an object falls, its potential energy decreases because it is moving from a higher position to a lower position in a gravitational field. This loss of potential energy is not wasted; instead, it is converted into kinetic energy, the energy of motion.

The gravitational potential energy of an object is given by the formula ( PE = mgh ), where ( m ) is mass, ( g ) is acceleration due to gravity, and ( h ) is the height above a reference point. As the height ( h ) decreases during a fall, the potential energy decreases. Meanwhile, as the object accelerates towards the ground, its velocity increases, which means its kinetic energy, described by the formula ( KE = \frac{1}{2} mv^2 ), is increasing.

This conversion between potential energy and kinetic energy adheres to the principle of conservation of mechanical energy, where the total mechanical energy remains constant if we neglect air resistance and other forms of energy dissipation. Thus, while the potential energy decreases, it is transformed into kinetic energy, making this option the most accurate representation of what happens to energy during the fall of an object.