Mechanical Energy

Mechanical Energy

Introduction

There is a lot of discussion in the world about the limits to the energy we have and to the development of renewable energy. But it can be shown that energy cannot be created or destroyed. So, why do we need to worry about energy at all? As we explore energy you will find that often when people talk about energy, what they really mean is fuel. Coal, gasoline, chemical batteries, and even wood are sources of fuel. We have a limited supply of some fuels, but no shortage of energy. In this module you will learn about how we define energy and study different types of mechanical energy. In addition we will spend time on the Law of Conservation of Energy and how energy is transformed from one state to another.

Module Lessons Preview

In this module, we will study the following topics:

How do I calculate the total mechanical energy of a system?
What are the different types of potential energy, and how do we determine their values?
Knowing mass and velocity, can we determine the Kinetic Energy found in a moving object?
How do we calculate the transfer of energy within a system, between types of potential energy and types of kinetic energy?
What is the definition of Work and how is it calculated?
How is temperature measuring internal energy of a system?
What is power?

Key Terms

Gravitational Potential Energy: Mechanical energy due to the height of an object above an arbitrary zero point.
Kinetic Energy: Mechanical energy due to the speed of an object.
Law of Conservation of Energy: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only change from one form to another.
Mechanical Energy: Energy due to position or motion.
Power: The rate of energy transfer.
Spring Potential Energy: Energy stored by the expansion or compression of a spring from its equilibrium position.
Work: Energy transfer by applying a force on an object causing it to move in the direction of the force.

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