ENERGY

What is energy?
Energy is the ability to do work.
What is mechanical work?
Mechanical work is said to be done by a force, if on application of the force the
object gets displaced in the direction of the force.
Example: - You strike a football and it gets displaced.
Mathematical expression of mechanical work:
If ‘F’ is the applied force, ‘d’ is the
displacement, then the work done by the force
W=F x d [mechanical work]
SI unit of work: -
SI unit of force is N (Newton)
SI unit of displacement is m (meter)
Therefore, SI unit of work is Nm. or J (joule)
1J = 1N x 1m; 1calorie = 4.2J

1kJ=1000J
1kgf = 9.8N

Definition of 1J:
1J of work is said to be done if 1N force is
applied and the object gets displaced by 1m in
the direction of the force.
Different forms of energy: -
 Mechanical- striking a ball with your feet,
 Electrical- Lighting a bulb
 Nuclear – Nuclear power plant
 Heat- boiling of egg
 Sound – a guitar string
 Light – We can see an object
 Chemical – in a battery.

Different forms of mechanical energy: -

Mechanical energy: -
The energy of an object due to its position or configuration / shape (potential
energy) or motion (kinetic energy).
Types of mechanical energy: -
1. Potential energy.
2. Kinetic energy.
What is potential energy (PE)?
The mechanical energy stored in an object due to its position (gravitational) or
shape (Elastic) is called potential energy.
Example: -
 You are on the top of a building – Gravitational potential energy
 A spring is stretched – Elastic potential energy

Gravitational PE
Mechanical work = F x d
Here the force is the pull of the earth and the displacement is vertically
up. We are doing a work against gravity of earth.
Mathematical expression: PE = mgh

Kinetic energy:
The mechanical
energy of an object due to its motion
Mathematical expression:
If ‘m’ be the mass of an object moving with
velocity ‘v,’ then the kinetic energy of that
object is
mv 2

Examples of kinetic energy:

1. A car is motion.
2. A person is walking.
3. A ball is dropped or thrown vertically up.

Numerical: -
Q1. The mass of an object is 2kg, is moving with 10m/s. What is the
kinetic energy of the object?
Answer:
The mass (m) =2kg
Velocity (v) =10m/s
1 2
Kinetic energy= mv = 1/2x2x10 2 =100J
2

Q2. The mass of an object 200g is moving with 10m/s. What is the
kinetic energy of the object?
Answer:
The mass (m) =200g=0.2kg [SI unit of mass is kg]
Velocity (v) =10m/s
1 2
Kinetic energy mv =1/2x0.2x102=10J
2

Q3. The mass of an object is 200g, is moving with 10cm/s. What is the
kinetic energy of the object?
Answer:
The mass (m) =200g=0.2kg [SI unit of mass is kg]
Velocity (v) =10cm/s=0.1m/s
1
Kinetic energy = mv2
2
=1/2x0.2x0.1=0.01J

Q4. An object mass 1kg is at height 10m from the ground. What is the
potential energy of the object? [Consider g = 10 m/s2 ]
Answer: -
Mass (m) of the object = 1kg
Height (h) = 10m
Acceleration due to gravity (g) = 10m/s2
The potential energy of the object at 10m from the ground is mgh=1x10x10=100J

Q5. An object mass 1kg is at height 100cm from the ground. What is
the potential energy of the object? [Consider g = 10 m/s2]
Answer: -
Mass (m) of the object = 1kg
Height (h) = 100cm = 1m
Acceleration due to gravity (g) = 10 m/s 2
The potential energy of the object at 1m from the ground is

Q6. An object mass 100g is at height 100cm from the ground. What is
the potential energy of the object? [Consider g = 9.8 m/s 2 ]
Answer: -
Mass (m) of the object = 100gm = 0.1kg
Height (h) = 100cm = 1m
Acceleration due to gravity (g) = 9.8 m/s 2
The potential energy of the object at 1m from the ground is_____

Q7. An object of mass 1kg moving with 54km/hr. Calculate kinetic

energy of the object.
Answer: -
The mass (m) =1kg
Velocity (v) =
1 2=
Kinetic energy = mv ____
2

Q8. An object of 200gm of mass moving with 72km/hr. What

is the kinetic energy of the object?
Answer:
The mass (m) =200g =
Velocity (v) =
Kinetic energy mv 2

Q9. An object is moving with velocity ‘v’ and mass ‘m’, if the
velocity of the object is doubled, what is the ratio of final to
initial kinetic energy of the object?
Answer:-
Let the initial kinetic () energy is mv 2
Final kinetic () energy =

Q10. An object is moving with velocity ‘v’ and mass ‘m’, if

the velocity of the object is doubled and mass is reduced to
half, what is the ratio of final to initial kinetic energy of the
object?
Answer:-
Let the initial kinetic () energy is mv 2
Final kinetic () energy =

Note:-
Conversion of

Conservation of mechanical energy:-

Conservation – remains constant or same.

Total mechanical energy of a freely falling object is constant.

If kinetic energy of the object increases then its potential

energy decreases and vice versa
Example:-
Mass of an object is 10kg, is at a height 10m from the ground
, then potential energy of the object is =

m= 10kg

10m

5m

Numerical (Conservation of mechanical energy type):-

:
Q1. An object of mass 1kg is at a height 10m from the ground
is allowed to fall freely, calculate:-
(i) kinetic energy and potential energy of the object at a

height 8m from the ground

(ii) kinetic energy and potential energy of the object at

5m from the ground

(iii) Kinetic energy of the object at a height 2m from the

ground.

[Consider ‘g’= 10m/s 2 ]

Answer:-
Mass (m) of the object = 1kg
Height (h) = 10 m
Acceleration due to gravity (g) = 10 m/s 2
Initial energy (potential energy of the object) =
(i) At 8m from the ground the potential energy of the

object is =
Form the conservation of mechanical energy, we
know the sum of kinetic and potential energy of an
object is constant

(ii) Potential energy of the object at 5m from the ground

Form the conservation of mechanical energy we

know the sum of kinetic and potential energy of an
object is constant

(iii) Potential energy of the object at 2m from the ground

Form the conservation of mechanical energy we

know the sum of kinetic and potential energy of an
object is constant

Note:
As the object is falling freely the potential energy of the
object gradually gets converted into kinetic energy. The
potential energy of the object is maximum at the highest point
and kinetic energy of the object is maximum at the lowest
point of the motion (that is just before it touches the ground).
Q2. An object is dropped from a height of 10m of the ground. The
mass of the object is 2kg. Calculate its
(i) Potential energy at 10m of the ground
(ii) Kinetic energy 5m of the ground
(iii) Potential energy 5m of the ground
(iv) Kinetic energy just before it touches the ground

[g=9.8ms -2 ]

Answer:-
(i)Potential energy=mgh=2 x 9.8 x 10=196J

(ii)During its motion under the gravity

Kinetic energy + Potential energy = 196 J
Potential energy of the object 5m of the
ground is mgh= 2 x 9.8 x 5 = 98J
Now
Kinetic energy + Potential energy = 196 J
Kinetic energy+98=196
Kinetic energy= 98J at 5m
(iii) Potential energy at 5m is 98J
(iv)Just before it touches the ground we consider the height is zero.

Initial potential energy got entirely converted into kinetic energy.

The kinetic energy of the object just before it touches the ground
is 196J
Note:-
 When the object is dropped gradually its potential energy
gets converted into kinetic energy.
 At the highest point Potential energy is the maximum and
kinetic energy is zero or minimum.

 At the lowest point kinetic energy is the maximum and

potential energy is zero.
Q3. An object is thrown vertically up with 10m/s from the ground.
The mass of the object is 2kg. Calculate its
(i) Potential energy at 5m of the ground
(ii) Kinetic energy 5m of the ground
(iii) Potential energy 2.5m of the ground
(iv) Kinetic energy when it is thrown up.

[g=10m/s 2 ]

Answer:-
Initial total energy of the object= Kinetic energy
The initial kinetic energy of the object is
=
Note:-
If the object is thrown up we calculate initial total energy as the
kinetic energy and if the object is dropped we will calculate the
initial total energy as the potential energy
We know at maximum height kinetic energy entirely gets
converted into potential energy
Let, ‘h’ be the height of the object and ‘m’ is the mass and ‘g’ is
acceleration due to gravity

(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
Q4. An object is thrown with a kinetic energy of 200J, mass of the
object is 2kg. Calculate

(i) Potential energy at 10m of the ground

(ii) Kinetic energy 5m of the ground
(iii) Potential energy 5m of the ground
(iv) Kinetic energy at 0m of the ground
(v) What is the maximum height attained by the object?
[g=10ms -2 ]

Answer: -
Initial kinetic energy =Initial total energy= 200J
(i) Potential energy at 10m= and kinetic energy is 0J
(ii) Potential energy at 5m

We know Potential energy + Kinetic energy= 200J

(iii) Potential energy 100J

(iv) Kinetic energy 0m of the ground 200J

Note:
At the highest point total energy = Potential energy
At the lowest point (just before touching the ground)
total energy= Kinetic energy

(v) Maximum height attained by the object is 10m.