All Flashcards
What is the effect of friction on a system's mechanical energy?
Friction converts mechanical energy into thermal energy, reducing the total mechanical energy.
What happens when positive work is done on a system?
The system's total energy increases.
What is the effect of increasing the height of an object?
The object's gravitational potential energy increases.
What is the effect of increasing the velocity of an object?
The object's kinetic energy increases.
What happens when a spring is compressed?
Elastic potential energy is stored in the spring.
What are the key differences between conservative and nonconservative forces?
Conservative: Path-independent, potential energy can be defined, total mechanical energy conserved. Nonconservative: Path-dependent, potential energy cannot be defined, total mechanical energy not conserved.
Compare and contrast kinetic and potential energy.
Kinetic: Energy of motion, depends on mass and velocity. Potential: Stored energy, depends on position or configuration (e.g., height or spring compression).
How to analyze energy conservation in a system?
- Define the system. 2. Identify energy types. 3. Account for work done on/by the system. 4. Apply conservation of energy:
Steps to solve conservation of energy problems?
- Identify initial and final states. 2. Determine energy forms at each state. 3. Account for any work done. 4. Set up and solve the conservation of energy equation.