Question

If air resistance is negligible, the sum total of potential and kinetic energies of a freely falling body _______

Answer 1

Answer:

Mechanical energy

Explanation:

Given that,

Potential energy of an object is given by :

P = mgh

The kinetic energy of an object is given by :

$K=\dfrac{1}{2}mv^2$

Where

m is mass

h is height

v is velocity of the object

The sum of potential and kinetic energy is equal to total energy or the mechanical energy.

Hence, if air resistance is negligible, the sum total of potential and kinetic energies of a freely falling body is equal to mechanical energy.