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 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.
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.