Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exam Practice 2025 – Comprehensive Prep

The scenario that best illustrates the transformation of potential energy into kinetic energy involves an object that is in a position to move due to its stored energy. When you hold a ball at the top of a hill, this ball possesses gravitational potential energy because of its height above the ground. When the ball is released, that potential energy converts into kinetic energy as it falls towards the ground.

In the context of the answer, if you are pushing off a rocking chair, you initiate its movement from a resting position, which may reflect a movement converting potential gravitational energy (when the chair is at rest) into kinetic energy as it starts to sway. However, this choice does not clearly convey that the energy is being transformed from a stored state (like height or position) into motion in the same way as the ball being released.

On the other hand, pedaling a bicycle actively uses kinetic energy to propel the bike forward and running down a ramp consists of already existing kinetic energy as one moves down the ramp. Both represent movement, but do not clearly convey the transition from potential to kinetic energy initiated by a change in position.

In short, the situation that best captures the essence of the transformation of potential energy into kinetic energy is represented by holding an object at