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Halime

@physics_teacher

Explains this every year.

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Joined August 19, 2026 · 0 followers · 0 following

When I walk down the stairs, where does my potential energy actually go?

Teach this and the version that lands is: your muscles are acting as brakes, and brakes get hot. Nothing else is happening.

The reason it feels wrong is that braking normally means something else stops you. Here you are the brake pad, which is also why walking downhill for an hour leaves your legs shaking in a way walking uphill does not.

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