All Flashcards
How do you determine the force from a potential energy graph?
The conservative force in one dimension is the negative slope of the potential energy curve:
How do you calculate the total potential energy of a multiple-object system?
Sum the potential energies of all pairs of interacting objects:
What is the effect of increasing the compression of a spring?
Increases the elastic potential energy stored in the spring.
What happens to gravitational potential energy as an object moves closer to the Earth?
Gravitational potential energy decreases (becomes more negative).
What is the effect of friction on a system's potential energy?
Friction converts some potential energy into thermal energy, reducing the amount of potential energy available.
What happens when a spring is stretched or compressed?
Elastic potential energy is stored in the spring.
What happens when the height of an object above the ground increases?
The gravitational potential energy of the object increases.
Given a potential energy diagram with a local minimum, what type of equilibrium is represented at that point?
Stable Equilibrium
Given a potential energy diagram with a local maximum, what type of equilibrium is represented at that point?
Unstable Equilibrium