All Flashcards
What is Kinetic Energy (KE)?
Energy possessed by an object due to its motion. Formula:
What is Potential Energy (PE)?
Stored energy that an object has due to its position or condition. Examples include gravitational and spring potential energy.
What is Mechanical Energy (ME)?
The sum of kinetic and potential energy in a system:
What are Conservative Forces?
Forces that allow energy to be converted between kinetic and potential energy without loss (e.g., gravity, spring force).
Define Work in physics.
The transfer of energy to or from a system by a force acting over a distance.
What is the Work-Energy Theorem?
The work done on an object equals the change in its kinetic energy:
What is the effect of friction on mechanical energy?
Friction converts mechanical energy into thermal energy, reducing the total mechanical energy of the system.
What happens when positive work is done on a system?
The total energy of the system increases.
What happens when negative work is done on a system?
The total energy of the system decreases.
What is the effect of increasing the height of an object on its gravitational potential energy?
Increasing the height increases the gravitational potential energy:
What is the effect of increasing the spring constant on the potential energy stored?
Increasing the spring constant increases the potential energy stored in the spring:
What happens if no external work is done on a system and no nonconservative forces act?
The total mechanical energy of the system stays constant.
What is the Law of Conservation of Energy?
In a closed system, the total energy remains constant. Energy can transform from one form to another, but it cannot be created or destroyed.
Define Kinetic Energy.
Energy of motion. Mathematically represented as .
Define Potential Energy.
Stored energy due to position or configuration. Examples include gravitational potential energy () and spring potential energy ().
What are nonconservative forces?
Forces for which the work done depends on the path taken. Examples include friction and air resistance.
What are conservative forces?
Forces for which the work done is independent of the path taken. It only depends on the initial and final positions. Examples include gravity and spring force.
What is mechanical energy (ME)?
The sum of kinetic energy (K) and potential energy (U):