Question

a student pushes two magnets together until the system stores 10,000 j of potential energy. after release, the system shows 2,500 j of kinetic energy at its peak. what does this indicate?
energy disappeared during the motion
not all potential energy converted to kinetic energy
the magnets produced new energy during the launch
energy transferred from kinetic back into potential energy

Explanation:

The law of conservation of energy states energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted or transferred. The system starts with 10,000 J of potential energy, but only 2,500 J becomes peak kinetic energy. This means the remaining potential energy was converted to other forms (like heat, sound) rather than kinetic energy, not that energy disappeared, new energy was made, or kinetic energy reverted to potential at peak motion.

Answer:

Not all potential energy converted to kinetic energy