All Flashcards
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 effect of increasing the displacement on potential energy?
Increasing the displacement from equilibrium increases the potential energy stored in the system (U = 1/2 kx^2).
What happens to kinetic energy as an oscillator approaches equilibrium?
As the oscillator approaches equilibrium, its kinetic energy increases, reaching its maximum at the equilibrium point.
What happens to potential energy as an oscillator moves away from equilibrium?
As the oscillator moves away from equilibrium, its potential energy increases, reaching its maximum at maximum displacement.
What is the effect of doubling the amplitude on the total energy of SHM?
Doubling the amplitude quadruples the total energy (since energy is proportional to the square of the amplitude).
What happens if non-conservative forces act on a simple harmonic oscillator?
The total energy of the system decreases over time due to energy dissipation (e.g., friction).
What happens if the spring constant is doubled?
The potential energy doubles for the same displacement.
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.