Conservation of Energy and Matter

Question 1

What does the law of conservation of matter state?

Answer 1

Matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction, only transformed.

This principle applies to both chemical and physical processes, ensuring mass remains constant before and after a reaction.

Question 2

What does the law of conservation of energy state?

Answer 2

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another.

Energy transformations occur in both everyday processes, like using a lightbulb, and in larger systems, like the Earth’s climate.

Question 3

What are the two types of mechanical energy?

Answer 3

Kinetic energy and Potential energy

Kinetic energy depends on an object’s mass and speed, while potential energy depends on its position relative to a reference point.

Question 4

Name five forms of energy.

Answer 4

Chemical, Electrical, Thermal, Electromagnetic, and Nuclear

These forms of energy can be converted into one another, like chemical energy in food being transformed into mechanical energy in the body.

Question 5

What is an example of the conservation of mechanical energy?

Answer 5

In the absence of friction, the total mechanical energy (kinetic + potential) of a falling object remains constant.

What is an example of the conservation of mechanical energy?