All Flashcards
What is the effect of increasing the displacement (x) on potential energy (U)?
Potential energy increases quadratically ().
What happens to kinetic energy as an oscillator approaches its equilibrium position?
Kinetic energy increases, reaching its maximum at the equilibrium position.
What happens to the total energy of a SHM system if there are no non-conservative forces?
The total energy remains constant.
What happens to the total energy of a SHM system if the amplitude of the oscillation is doubled?
The total energy quadruples.
What is internal energy (U)?
Energy associated with the random motion of a system's particles; thermal energy within an object.
What is potential energy (U)?
Energy an object has due to its position or configuration within a force field.
What is kinetic energy (K)?
The energy of motion; the energy an object has because it's moving.
Define total energy in a closed system.
The sum of potential and kinetic energy, which remains constant in the absence of non-conservative forces.
What is a simple harmonic oscillator?
A system that, when displaced from its equilibrium position, experiences a restoring force proportional to the displacement.
What is the difference between potential and kinetic energy in SHM?
Potential energy is stored energy due to displacement from equilibrium; kinetic energy is the energy of motion as the oscillator moves.
Compare energy at maximum displacement vs. equilibrium in SHM.
Max displacement: max potential energy, zero kinetic energy. Equilibrium: max kinetic energy, zero potential energy.
How do potential and kinetic energy change over one cycle of SHM?
Potential energy converts to kinetic energy as the oscillator moves towards equilibrium, and kinetic energy converts back to potential energy as it moves towards maximum displacement.
What is the relationship between total energy, kinetic energy, and potential energy in SHM?
Total energy is the sum of kinetic and potential energy and remains constant in the absence of non-conservative forces: E = K + U
Contrast the energy vs. time graphs for potential and kinetic energy in SHM.
Both are parabolic curves. Potential energy is at its maximum when position is at its maximum, and kinetic energy is at its maximum when velocity is at its maximum.