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How is the law of conservation of energy stated in general terms?
AEnergy always slowly increases in a closed system
BEnergy can be created whenever a new force appears
CTotal energy decreases whenever friction is present
DTotal energy is constant, though it may change form
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Total energy is constant, though it may change form
1. The law of conservation of energy states that total energy is constant in any process.
2. Energy may change in form, such as chemical energy becoming thermal energy, or be transferred from one system to another, but the overall total remains the same.
3. Energy is never created out of nothing, and friction does not destroy total energy, since it merely converts mechanical energy into thermal energy.
4. The law does not describe energy as slowly increasing over time; instead the total stays exactly fixed.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 7 "Work, Energy, and Energy Resources", section 7.6 Conservation of Energy_
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