Assertion (A) : When a ball is dropped from a height, its kinetic energy decreases and potential energy increases.

Reason (R) : The total mechanical energy remains conserved during the fall, if we ignore air resistance.

1. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
2. Both A and R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A
3. Assertion is true but reason is false
4. Assertion is false but reason is true

Assertion is false but reason is true

Explanation

Assertion (A) is false because when the ball is released from a height, it falls down and the vertical height of the ball from the ground decreases. Therefore, the potential energy decreases and it changes to kinetic energy due to which the speed of ball increases.

Reason (R) is true because during the fall while transformation of mechanical energy from one form to the other desired form, some part of it changes to other undesirable form usually heat due to the presence of air resistance but when air resistance is absent then no losses occur and hence the total mechanical energy remains conserved.