Which of the following statements is true?
A)The kinetic and potential energies of an object must always be positive quantities.
B)The kinetic and potential energies of an object must always be negative quantities.
C)Kinetic energy can be negative but potential energy cannot.
D)Potential energy can be negative but kinetic energy cannot.
E)None of these statements is true.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Kinetic energy, defined as $ \frac{1}{2}mv^2 $ (where $ m $ is mass and $ v $ is velocity), is always positive because mass and the square of velocity are always positive. Potential energy, however, can be negative depending on the reference point chosen. For example, in gravitational potential energy calculations, the potential energy can be negative if the reference point is chosen to be at a position higher than the object's position.

Which of the Following Statements Is True