Question

1. what happens to kinetic energy when an object slows down?

Explanation:

Step1: Recall the formula for kinetic energy

The formula for kinetic energy is \(K = \frac{1}{2}mv^{2}\), where \(m\) is the mass of the object and \(v\) is its velocity.

Step2: Analyze the effect of decreasing velocity

When an object slows down, its velocity \(v\) decreases. Since \(K\propto v^{2}\) (because \(m\) is constant for a given object), as \(v\) gets smaller, \(v^{2}\) gets smaller. For example, if \(v\) is halved (\(v'=\frac{v}{2}\)), then \(K'=\frac{1}{2}m(\frac{v}{2})^{2}=\frac{1}{4}(\frac{1}{2}mv^{2})=\frac{K}{4}\).

Answer:

The kinetic energy of the object decreases.