What decides what type of energy something turns into?

Question

How come when you hit 2 rocks together it makes sound energy but if I hit two other rocks together it can make sparks, whatever kind of energy that is. When you use a newtons cradle, the potential energy turns into: heat energy, sound energy, and maybe other stuff. What dictates what percent of the energy turns into what type of energy, etc???

In: Physics

Answer 1

There’s physics that everything follows, the sparks example will still make a sound. You’d be better off asking what made each thing happen.