UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA, SABAH

KOTA KINABALU CAMPUS

MECHANICS 1 (PHY110)

ASSIGNMENT NO : 3

CHAPTER : 6 , 7

NAME: NURSHAFIQAH BINTI KHALID

STUDENT ID: 2019878494

GROUP: AS1201A4

DATE OF ASSIGNMENT:

DATE OF SUBMISSION:
1) Yes . It is possible for a moving object to have negative total mechanical energy. The
total mechanical energy , E is of a system is defined as the sum of kinetic energy , K and
potential energy , U which is E = K + U . No matter which direction the object is
moving , K must be positive due to the  v 2, assuming that mass is also never negative .
Potential energy is also positive because g=9.8 / 10 and height is a distance , which is
also non-negative. Mechanical energy is generally defined only up to a constant.
Therefore, if we choose our constant as a large, negative number, we could have a total
energy that is negative even with a very fast moving particle. Likewise, if we choose your
potential energy to equal zero at, say, the top of a cliff, then anything we throw off the
cliff will have negative potential energy once it falls below our feet.

2) If the two cars remain together the occupants of the car will be more damaged. When the
cars remain together after the collision it is said to be inelastic. In that case, mechanical
energy is not conserved, but goes into the breaking of the car and heat energy. In an elastic
collision energy is conserved as well as momentum. In other words, the kinetic energies
before and after the collision are roughly the same, and very little energy will go into
damaging the cars and their occupants. So, if they remain together, it is more damaging
than if they rebound backwards . when there is rebound there is greater impulse; since
impulse is force multiplies time, if we assume the times are similar, a greater impulse
would result in a greater force