I need to be able to discuss this in class tomorrow:

The great Roman poet, Lucretius, wrote, "Things cannot be born from nothing, cannot when begotten brought back to nothing." This statement became an accepted theory as a result of the work of the chemist, Lavoisier in the 18th century. This is the law of conservation of matter. Similarly, the law of conservation of energy is an important law in physics.

For this discussion, complete the following:

1. Discuss the validity of the conservation of energy in terms of potential (gravitational or elastic) and kinetic energy by giving at least one real-life application.
2. Explain how the velocity of a falling item is independent of its mass by using potential and kinetic energy equations.