What happens to energy in a closed system according to the law of conservation of energy?

The law of conservation of energy states that in a closed system, energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transformed from one form to another. This means that the total amount of energy in the system remains constant, but the energy might change forms—such as converting from kinetic energy to thermal energy, or from potential energy to mechanical energy.

For example, in a closed system where a ball is thrown into the air, the kinetic energy from the throw transforms into potential energy as the ball rises. When it falls back down, that potential energy is converted back into kinetic energy. Throughout this entire process, the total energy of the closed system remains constant, demonstrating the principle of energy transformation.

The other options suggest different scenarios that do not align with the law of conservation of energy. Energy cannot be created, as it must come from existing energy forms within the system. It also cannot be destroyed, as this would violate the fundamental principle of conservation. Scattering does not accurately describe the behavior of energy in a closed system, as it implies a loss or a change to the system that does not conform to conservation principles. Thus, the correct way to describe what happens to energy in this context is that it is transformed.