A diver steps off a diving platform that is 10m above the water. If there is no air resistance during the fall, there will be a decrease in the diver's

Answer Details

When the diver steps off the diving platform, they start to fall towards the water due to the force of gravity. As the diver falls, their height above the water decreases, and therefore their gravitational potential energy decreases. At the same time, the diver's speed increases as they fall, which means their kinetic energy increases. Since there is no air resistance during the fall, the total mechanical energy of the diver (which is the sum of their kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy) remains constant. This is known as the conservation of energy. However, momentum is not directly affected by the decrease in height or the increase in speed. Momentum is defined as the product of an object's mass and velocity, and it only changes if there is a net force acting on the object. In the absence of external forces, the momentum of the diver remains constant. Therefore, the correct answer is: the diver's gravitational potential energy decreases, while their kinetic energy increases, and their momentum remains constant.