Answer :

Mechanical energy is not conserved because the roller coaster loses energy due to friction and air resistance as it travels down the track.

Mechanical energy refers to the sum of kinetic energy and potential energy. It refers to the energy of an object in motion or the energy that is stored in objects by their position. In a system, mechanical energy is constant when there are only gravitational forces acting in it or it is in an otherwise idealized system – a system which is lacking or reasonably negligible dissipative forces, such as friction and air resistance. Hence, mechanical energy is conserved when there are no frictional forces acting on the system. As the roller coaster loses energy due to friction and air resistance as it travels back down the track, the mechanical energy is not conserved.

Note: The question is incomplete. The complete question probably is: Mechanical energy is (conserved, not conserved) because the roller coaster (loses, gains) energy due to friction and air resistance as it travels down the track.

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