WORK, POWER, AND ENERGY
Students Handout
Energy is the name of the game. Everything exists or cease to exist because of its presence or
absence. It is stored in different forms and can transfer and/or transform. It can be transferred
without being transformed. It can also be transformed without being transferred. It can also be
transformed during transfers.
Energy – is the measure of an object’s ability to do mechanical work.
Different forms of energy:
a. Solar Energy e. Mechanical energy
b. Light f. Chemical energy
c. Heat g. Nuclear energy
d. Electrical energy h. Electromagnetic energy
Mechanical Energy – is energy acquired by objects upon which work is done. This form of
energy closely relates to the elementary definition of energy which is the capacity to do work.
➢ The measure of all the different forms of energy is given in the unit joules (J), which
breaks down to Nm or kg m2s2.
➢ Multiplying the force in dynes with the displacement in cm gives the unit dyne cm,
which is called the erg. It also breaks down to g cm2s2.
The word work in physics requires that an object moves as a direct consequence of a force
being applied to it or to apply a force on an object that makes that object move.
Net force accelerates an object, thus making the object move from one place to
another. This change in place is measured as the object’s displacement.
In general, the energy acquired by objects upon which work is done is known as mechanical
energy. You have learned in Grade 8 Science that mechanical energy fall under two
categories: Potential energy and Kinetic Energy.
a. Kinetic Energy – is the energy of motion.
If an object is in motion, it has kinetic energy. If it is at rest, it has zero kinetic
energy.
It is a scalar quantity so it doesn’t matter what the direction of motion is.
Its unit is joules (J) or ergs.
1
K = mv2
2
b. Potential energy – is the energy of position or configuration. It is commonly
considered as a stored energy having the potential to do mechanical work.
The unit of potential energy whether gravitational or elastic is joule or erg.
Two types of Potential energy
1.Gravitational potential energy, GPE.
It is a function of an object’s height. The higher the position of an
object, the greater its potential energy. An object that is at rest on a
high position has high potential energy. Just being at the height
gives it the potential for doing work. That energy can only be “used”
when the object falls.
GPE = mgh
2.Elastic potential energy, EPE.
It is the energy stored through springs, compressed air, and other
elastic substances or objects.
1
EPE = kx2
2
k = the force constant or a property of a material that describes
how elastic it is, and is expressed in N/m or dynes/cm.
x = is the amount of stretch or compression.
Problem Solving:
1.
a. Calculate the kinetic energy of a 20-gram dart moving at a speed of 20 cm/s.
b. What should the speed of the dart
be for its kinetic energy to be
twice as that in (a)?
2. The figure shows a mass m = 1 kg at
rest on a curved ramp. At the top of
the ramp (point A), the mass is 4 meters from the ground. What are its kinetic energy
and potential energy at the top of the ramp?
3. At point B, the mass reaches the halfway point on the ramp. But because of the
curvature of the ramp, the height of the mass is only 1.17 m. Also, since the mass
has been moving downward from point A, it has a speed of 7.45 m/s. Find the kinetic
energy and potential energy of the mass at point B.
4. Calculate the potential energy at point C, the bottom of the ramp at which point the
mass is now moving at a speed of 8.85 m/s. Calculate also the kinetic energy of the
mass.
5. An uncompressed spring is 10 cm
long. Its force constant is k = 100 N/m.
A block of mass 1 kg is pushed
against the spring until the spring is
compressed by 0.05 m. Calculate the
EPE of the spring at point A.
The Law of Conservation of Energy
States that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Energy is simply transformed
from one form to another or transferred from one system to another.
This means that, whenever energy shows up in a form that wasn’t there before, we can
be assured that it had always been around but until that moment was in a different form. Thus,
light energy can be converted to mechanical energy.
➢ Therefore, a decrease in potential energy is equal to an increase in kinetic energy,
and vice versa. In symbols:
TME = K + PE
Where: TME is Total Mechanical Energy
Ex:
In a plugged television, electrical energy is converted into radiant, heat and sound
energies.
During photosynthesis, the sun’s radiant energy is converted into chemical energy.
Hydroelectric Power (HEP) Plant,
gravitational PE → kinetic energy → electrical energy
When you switch on your battery-run radio
Chemical Energy → Electrical Energy → Sound Energy
Gasoline burns to run a jeepney
Chemical Energy →Heat → Mechanical Energy (with wasted heat)
