Question

the __________ energy in a mechanical system is determined by adding the potential and kinetic energy together. a total b massive the initial __________ energy is equal to zero because the starting point is set at zero height to make things easier. a kinetic b potential

Explanation:

For the first question, in a mechanical system, the total energy is the sum of potential and kinetic energy. For the second question, potential energy is related to height (\(U = mgh\)), so if height \(h = 0\), potential energy \(U=0\). Kinetic energy is related to motion (\(K=\frac{1}{2}mv^{2}\)), and there is no information about motion being zero in the second - question context.

Answer:

A. total
B. potential