Energy

Energy • Energy is the ability to do work

• Work happens when energy is transferred to make a object move a

certain distance
Physics
• Energy is measured in Joules (1 kJ = 1000 J)
Gr10

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Energy Kinetic energy

The energy an object has as a result of its motion.
Kinetic Potential Heat Sound Electromagnetic Electrical
energy energy radiation energy Gravitational potential energy
Stored energy an object has due to its position relative to
another object with mass.
Gravitational Chemical Elastic Gamma X-rays
Light
radiation
An object has potential energy due to its position relative to
the earth.
Mechanical energy = kinetic energy + gravitational potential energy
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Examples
1. A weightlifter raises a weight of 200 kg to height of 1,5 m.
EP = mgh Calculate the gravitational potential energy of the weight
at that height.

Potential Height
energy
Mass (m)
(J) Gravitational
(kg)
acceleration
(9,8 m.s-2)
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2) Jess picks up a box (20kg) from the 1st step and places it
on the 4th step. Calculate the gain in gravitational
potential energy.
EK = ½mv2
Kinetic
energy
Mass Velocity
(J)
0,8 m (kg) (m.s-1)

0,2 m
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Example Mechanical energy

Calculate the kinetic energy of a car of mass 800 kg and The total amount of potential energy plus kinetic
velocity 20 m.s-1. energy in a system.

EM = EK + EP

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Example
The principle of conservation of mechanical energy
A stone (mass = 3,5 kg) falls from rest to the ground
from a height of 100 m. The total mechanical energy in an isolated system remains
constant.
a) Calculate the mechanical energy of the stone at
its maximum height.
• Only in the absence of dissipative forces!

• Isolated system: a system on which the resultant external

force is zero

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b) Calculate the EM of the stone after falling 50m. c) Calculate the EM of the stone at the bottom just
before it hits the ground.

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Marble in pipe
Application – hydroelectricity
EP of water at top converted into EK at bottom. The kinetic
energy of the water turns turbines that generate electricity.

• All the EP of the marble is converted into EK when it Ep → Ek → electric energy

reaches the bottom of the pipe.

• Marble will reach same height if no energy is lost due

to friction. 15 16

The pendulum – example pg. 300 The roller coaster

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Conservation of Energy Conservation of Energy
A skateboard track is indicated
below. Assume that the track is
EM (top) = EM (bottom) frictionless. A skateboard rider
with a mass of 47 kg rides on the
track with his skate board of mass
of 3 kg. At position P his speed is

Ek (top) + Ep (top) = Ek (bottom) + Ep (bottom) 6 m.s-1.

He rides up the slope on the right and reaches position Q with a speed
of 1 m.s-1.
Calculate the height h that the skateboard rider will reach when he
½mv2 + mgh = ½mv2 + mgh reaches to position Q.

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Conservation of Energy
Robert, with a mass of 47 kg, rides on his skate board, with a mass of 3 kg, on a
frictionless track from rest at point A and reaches point C on the track with a
speed of 2 m.s-1.
a) Calculate the speed at which Robert moves on his skate board when he
reaches point B.
b) What height does he reach at point C?

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