Answer: (b) Potential energy increases

Explanation

The conservative force exerts a positive work on the body when it pushes or displaces the body towards the direction of the force. As a result, the body moves closer to the source of force. The distance between the body and the centre of force decreases as a result. As a result, the body’s potential energy is reduced but its kinetic energy is increased. As a result, the potential energy of a body decreases when a conservative force performs positive work on it.

• When the conservative force pushes the body in the opposite direction of the force, it causes the body to do negative work.
• The body moves away from the centre of force as a result of this.
• As a result, the distance between the body and the centre of force widens.
• As a result, when a conservative force does negative work on the body, the body’s potential grows. The kinetic energy diminishes as the potential energy rises.