A freely falling object eventually stops on reaching the ground. What happened to its kinetic energy?

Answer

When a freely falling body falls, its potential energy is converted into kinetic energy.

As it hits the ground, it’s kinetic energy is converted into

  • Heat Energy - Heat is generated in the object and the ground
  • Sound Energy - Sound is produced when object falls into the ground
  • Transferred to the ground/earth - It can also deform the ground and transfer some energy to the ground
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CA Maninder Singh is a Chartered Accountant for the past 14 years and a teacher from the past 18 years. He teaches Science, Economics, Accounting and English at Teachoo