When stretching an object like a spring, what energy stores are utilized?

When stretching an object like a spring, the primary type of energy that is involved is elastic energy. When a spring is stretched, work is done on the spring, and this work is stored as elastic potential energy. This energy is specifically related to the deformation of the spring.

As the spring is released, this stored elastic energy can be converted into kinetic energy, which is the energy of motion, allowing the spring to move back to its original shape and potentially cause movement in other objects. This transition from elastic potential energy to kinetic energy is what makes option C the correct choice.

The other options discuss different forms of energy stores that do not apply to the scenario of stretching a spring. For instance, the conversion of kinetic to gravitational energy typically occurs in scenarios involving height changes and does not pertain to stretching. Similarly, chemical to electric energy transformations describe different types of energy interactions, such as in batteries, rather than mechanical stretching. Therefore, the relationship between elastic and kinetic energy in the context of a spring makes the selected answer accurate.