What happens to the gravitational potential energy of an object as it falls freely?

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: 'It decreases.' When an object falls freely, its height decreases, resulting in a decrease in gravitational potential energy. The potential energy is converted into kinetic energy as the object accelerates due to gravity. This conversion process continues until the object reaches the ground or its lowest point, where the gravitational potential energy is minimal or zero. Choice B is incorrect because gravitational potential energy decreases, not increases, during free fall. Choice C is incorrect as gravitational potential energy changes due to the change in height. Choice D is incorrect as the gravitational potential energy does not instantly become zero but decreases gradually as the object falls.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Evaporation is the correct term for the process of converting a liquid into a gas at a temperature below its boiling point. During evaporation, molecules of the liquid gain enough energy to escape into the gas phase, primarily occurring at the liquid's surface. Vaporization is a broader term that encompasses the conversion of a substance from a liquid or solid state to a gas, not specifically at temperatures below the boiling point. Condensation is the reverse process of evaporation, involving the conversion of a gas into a liquid. Sublimation, on the other hand, refers to the direct transition of a substance from the solid phase to the gas phase without passing through the liquid phase.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The main function of the stomach is to store food, churn it, and break it down into smaller pieces through mechanical digestion. This process is facilitated by the mixing of food with gastric juices, including stomach acid. The mechanical breakdown in the stomach helps initiate the digestion of food before it progresses to the small intestine for further digestion and nutrient absorption. Absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream primarily occurs in the small intestine, not the stomach. Enzymes that aid in digesting food are primarily produced in the pancreas and small intestine, not in the stomach. The elimination of waste products from the body mainly occurs through the large intestine and rectum, not the stomach.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The main function of the kidneys is to filter waste products, excess ions, and water from the bloodstream to form urine, which is then excreted from the body. This process helps maintain the body's internal environment by regulating the balance of electrolytes, fluid volume, and pH levels. While the kidneys do produce urine as a result of filtering the blood, their primary function is to filter waste products rather than solely producing urine. Although the kidneys play a role in regulating blood pressure by controlling blood volume and electrolyte concentration, their main function is waste filtration. While the kidneys do produce hormones like erythropoietin and renin that regulate physiological processes, such as red blood cell production and blood pressure, the main role of the kidneys is waste filtration.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The amplitude of a wave determines the loudness of sound when heard by the human ear. The greater the amplitude of a sound wave, the louder the sound will be perceived. Frequency (Choice A) refers to the number of wave cycles in a given time period. Wavelength (Choice C) is the distance between two corresponding points on a wave. Velocity (Choice D) is the speed at which the wave travels and does not directly affect the loudness of sound perceived by the human ear.