Lecture 7: Potential energy and Energy -

conservation - Block falling from a height y:

o Positive Work by weight>
change in Kinetic Energy
- Forces that includes displacement or - When raising the object to a height
change in speed on a body results to y2
work > change in kinetic energy W grav =F grav ∆ y =−mg( y 2− y 1 )
- Change in kinetic energy is ↓
equivalent to the work done by the W grav =mg y 1−mg y 2
force on the object. - Definition
- If work done by A on B is positive, U =mgy
then work done by B on A is - When raising the object to a height
negative. y2
W grav =−( U 2−U 1 ) =−∆ U
Potential Energy
Equals to a negative change on
- In climbing a wall or stretching a potential energy
spring: - This relation holds true in both cases
o Work done against a if the body is moving upwards or
conservative force is falling
somehow “stored” – can be
gained from kinetic energy
- “Potential energy” Potential energy reference
o “stored work”
- The potential energy reference is
o Energy associated with
location where U = 0.
position
- The potential reference serves as a
o Not a property of a single
benchmark to which all potential
object!
energy measurements are carried
 Property of
out.
interacting objects
- Δy is independent of path taken
 E.g ball-earth system,
- Initial PE, U1, position can be at any
block-spring system
reference point
Gravitational Potential Energy - What is the change in potential
energy for a closed path?
- Energy associated with a boy’s
weight and its height from the
- ground
- Shared property of object and Earth
- Raising a block to a height y:
o Negative work by weight>
storing of energy into GPE
 Example 2: Height of a Baseball from
Energy Conservation
Example 1: The bowler and the sore toe
You throw a 0.145-kg baseball straight up in
A bowling ball (m= 7kg) held by a careless
the air, giving it an initial upward velocity of
bowler (whose height is 1.5 m) slips from
magnitude 20.0 m/s. use conservation of
the bowler’s hands (0.5 m from the floor)
energy to find how high it goes, ignoring air
and drops on the bowler’s toe (0.03 m from
resistance.
the floor). Choosing floor level as the y=0
point of your coordinate system,
a) Estimate the total work done on the Test your understanding!
ball by the force of gravity as the ball
A bowling ball is suspended from the ceiling
falls.
of a lecture hall by a strong cord. The ball is
b) Repeat the calculation, using the top
drawn away from its equilibrium position
c) of the bowler’s head as the origin of
and released from rest at the tip of the
coordinates.
demonstrator’s nose. If the demonstrator
remains stationary, explain why she is not
struck by the ball on its return swing. Would
Conservation of Mechanical Energy
this demonstrator be safe if the ball were
- Energy possessed by an object sue given a push from its starting position at her
to its motion or its stored energy of nose?
position
- Composed of
o Kinetic energy (energy in Example 3: CME in pendulum
Motion)
A pendulum consists of a sphere of mass m
o Potential energy (stored
attached to a light cord of length L. The
energy of position)
sphere is released from rest at point A
- Total Mechanical Energy E:
when the cord makes an angle θ A with the
E=K +U
vertical, and the pivot at P is frictionless.
- Because of Work-KE Theorem
W tot =∆ K=−∆ U Find the speed of the sphere when it is at
↓ the lowest point B.
K 2−K 1=U 1−U 2
U 1 + K 1=U 2+ K 2 Example 4:

Ei =Ef A 60-kg man accidentally fell from the top

of a 10 m-high building. Considering the
- For an object-Earth system with no effect of air resistance is negligible,
external forces doing work:
1 2 1 a) Calculate the velocity of the man
mvi +mgy i=Ei =Ef = mv2f +mgy f when he is 5 m from the building
2 2
∆ E mechanical=0 b) Just before he hits the ground.
Elastic Potential Energy 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
mv + kx = mv + kx
2 i 2 i 2 f 2 f
Elastic ∆ E mechanical=0
- When an object returns to its
original shape and size after being CME: Both Gravitational and Elastic PE
deformed.
1 1
Elastic Potential Energy E=K +U grav +U el= mv 2 +mgy+ kx 2
2 2
- “Stored” potential energy due to - Conservation of Mechanical Energy
doing work against a spring force. is still
- Recall: Ei =Ef
1 ∆ E mechanical=0
W done on spring = kx 2
2
- Hence EPE for spring is
1 Example 5: Block-spring collision
U el = kx 2
2
A block having a mass of 0.80 kg is given an
- As the spring stretches, Wel is
initial velocity VA=1.2 m/s to the right and
negative.
1 collides with a spring of negligible mass and
U el = kx 2 force constant k=50 N/m. Assuming the
2
1 1 surface to be frictionless, calculate the
W done on spring = kx 22− kx 21 maximum compression of the spring after
2 2
1 1 the collision.
W done BY spring =W el = kx 21− kx 22
2 2
Example 6: Spring-loaded popgun
W el =U el 1−U el 2=−∆ U el
The launching mechanism of a toy gun
- As the stretched spring relaxes, Wel consists of a spring of unknown spring
is positive constant. When the spring is compressed
1 1 0.120 m, the gun, when fired vertically, is
W done BY spring =W el = kx 21− kx 22
2 2 able to launch a 35.0-g projectile to a
W el =U el 1−U el 2=−∆ U el maximum height of 20.0 m above the
- As the compressed spring relaxes, position of the projectile before firing.
Wel is positive
1 1 a) Neglecting all resistive forces,
W done BY spring =W el = kx 21− kx 22 determine the spring constant.
2 2
W el =U el 1−U el 2=−∆ U el b) Find the speed of the projectile as it
moves through the equilibrium
position (point B) of the spring.
Effect of Other Forces
- If only elastic force does work: - If external forces on the object-
Ei =Ef earth-spring system do work, the
 work done by these forces equals o Electric Force
the change in total ME of the o Magnetic Force
system.
∆ E mechanical=W others Non-conservative force
Ei +W others=E f - Examples
o Friction
Example 7: Crate sliding down a ramp
o Force due to fluid resistance
A 3.00-kg crate slides down a ramp. The o Applied force
ramp is 1.00 m in length and inclined at an
Work done by a conservative force
angle of 30.0°. The crate starts from rest at
the top, experiences a constant friction - Difference between initial and final
force of magnitude 5.00N, and continues to potential energy
move a short distance on the horizontal - Independent of path of travel by
floor after it leaves the ramp. body
- When starting and ending points are
Use energy methods to determine the the same, total work is zero.
speed of the crate at the bottom of the - Reversible
ramp. W grav=mgy 1−mgy 2
What if? (Work done by gravitational force)
A cautious worker decides that the speed of 1 1
W el = kx 21− kx 22
the crate when it arrives at the bottom of 2 2
the ramp may be so large that its contents
(Work done by spring force)
may be damaged. Therefore, he replaces
the ramp with a longer one such that the Work done by a non-conservative force
new ramp makes an angle of 25° with the
- Work done depends on the path
ground. Does this new ramp reduce the
- A very good example of a non-
speed of the crate as it reaches the ground?
conservative force is kinetic friction
W others =E f −E i

Conservative & Non-conservative Forces

Conservative force
- Force that offers a two-way
conversion between kinetic and
potential energy

- Examples
Example 8: Frictional work depends on the
o Force due to a spring
path
o Gravitational force
You are rearranging your furniture and wish - What energy can be attributed to
to move a 40 kg futon 2.50 m across the friction?
room. A heavy coffee table, which you don’t - Is there loss in energy when friction
want to move, blocks this straight-line path. is present?
Instead, you slide the futon along a dogleg - Does this violate energy
path; the doglegs are 2.00m and 1.50 m conservation?
long. How much more work must you do to o Can be associated to Internal
push the futon along the dogleg path than Energy
along the straight-line path? The coefficient - Law of Conservation of Energy
of kinetic friction is μk =0.200. ∆ K + ∆ U +∆ U ∫ ¿=0 ¿

Force and Potential Energy

Sliding a book - How can I relate the conservative force
You and three friends stand at the corners with the Potential energy?
of a square whose sides are 8.0 m long in - Recall
the middle of the gym floor. You take your
W =F x ( x ) ∆ x=−∆ U
PHYS 71 book and push it from one person
to the other. The book has a mass of 1.5 kg, −∆U
F x ( x )=
and the coefficient of kinetic friction ∆x
between the book and the floor is μk = 0.25 - Taking the limit as ∆ x →0
−d U ( x )
a) The book slides from you to Anton F x ( x )=
dx
and then from Anton to Joakin,
Force from potential energy
along the lines connecting these
Force= the negative of the slope of U
people. What is the work done by
vs x graph!
friction during this displacement?
b) You slide the book from you to
Joakin along the diagonal of the
square. What is the work done by
friction during this displacement?
c) You slide the book to Athena, who
then slides it back to you. What is
the total work done by friction
during this motion of the book

The Law of Conservation of Energy