Physics I

Class 09

Potential Energy and

Conservation of Energy

Rev. 09-Feb-06 GB
09-1
 Work (Review)

Workisam easureoftheenergythat aforceputsinto(+)ortakes

awayfrom(–)anobject asit moves.
Workisascalar
, calcula
tedwithadot product ifforceisconstant:
 
WFdFdcos(
)F
xdx F
ydyF
zdz
 Forvaryingforcesinonedimension:
xf

WFdx
xi

09-2
 Work Integral in
Multiple Dimensions
I
n m
ul
tip
led
ime

ns
ion
s,t
hewo
rki
nte
gra
ll
ook
sli
ket
his
:
x
 f

W
F
d
x

x
i

W
ha
tdo
esi
tme
ant
o “
dot
” t
hef
orc
ewi
tht
h ev
ar
iab
leo
fi
nte
gra
ti
on?

F

dx

 xf
xi path of integration

09-3
 Does work depend on the path?
Conservative Forces

For general forces, the w ork does depend on the path that w e take.
H ow ever, there are som e forces for w hich w ork does not depend on
the path taken betw een the beginning and ending points.
T hese are called conservative forces.
A m athem atically equivalent w ay to put this is that the w ork done by
a conservative force along any closed path is exactly zero.
 
 Fcons  d x  0
(The funny integral sym bol m eans a path that closes back on itself.)

09-4
 Conservative Forces
Non-Conservative Forces
Examples of Conservative Forces:
 Gravity
 Ideal Spring (Hooke’s Law)
 Electrostatic Force (later in Physics 1)

Examples of Non-Conservative Forces:

 Human Pushes and Pulls
 Friction

09-5
 How Conservative Forces
Help Us Calculate Work

If a force is conservative, then the work it does

on a particle that moves between two points is
the same for all paths connecting those points.

This is handy to know because it means that we can

indirectly calculate the work done along a
complicated path by calculating the work done along
a simple (for example, linear) path.

Also, if we have a closed path (return to start), then

W = 0.

09-6
 Conservative Forces
and Potential Energy

If we are dealing with a conservative force, we can simplify the process

of calculating work by introducing potential energy.
1. Define a point where the potential energy is zero (our choice).
2. Find the work done from that point to any other point in space.
(This is not too hard for most conservative forces.)
3. Define the potential energy at each point as negative the work done
from the reference point to there. Call this function U.
4 The work done by the conservative force from any point A to any
point B is then simply W = U(A)–U(B).

09-7
 Conservative Forces
and Potential Energy
Point B:
 
B A
 
U(B)  F dx U(A) Fdx
Point A: 0
0

 W(0 B) W(0A)

Point 0: U = 0 (defined)
W (A  B )  W (A  0 )  W (0  B ) 
 W (0  A )  W (0  B )  U (A )  U (B )

09-8
 Two Common Potential Energy
Functions in Physics 1
G r a v ita tio n a l P o te n tia l E n e r g y
U g  m g (y  y 0)  m g h
(y 0 is o u r c h o ic e to m a k e th e p ro b le m e a s ie r)

S p r in g P o te n tia l E n e r g y
1
U s  2
k (x  x 0)2
( x 0 is th e e q u ilib riu m p o s itio n a n d k is th e s p r in g c o n s ta n t)

09-9
 Potential Energy, Kinetic Energy,
and Conservation of Energy
R e c a ll th e W o rk -K in e tic E n e rg y T h e o re m :
 K  W net

A n d fo r c o n s e rv a tiv e fo rc e s w e h a v e
W cons   U
If th e n o n -c o n s e r v a tiv e fo rc e s a re z e ro o r n e g lig ib le , th e n
W net  W cons

P u ttin g it to g e th e r,
 K   U or | K   U  0 |
A n o th e r w a y to s a y th is is th e to ta l e n e rg y , K + U , is c o n s e rv e d .

09-10
 Example Problem
Skateboarder Going Up a Ramp

K  12 m v 2 K  0
U  m gh
U 0

h
v d


1
2
mv2 0  0mgh
v2 h v2
h d 
2g sin() 2gsin()

09-11
 Class #09
Take-Away Concepts
1. M u l t i - d i m en s i o n a l f o r m o f w o r k i n t e g r a l :
x f
 
W 

x
 F dx
i

2. C o n s e rv a tiv e fo rc e = w o rk d o e s n ’t d e p e n d o n p a th .
3. P o te n tia l E n e rg y d e fin e d fo r a c o n s e rv a tiv e fo rc e :
  A
U (A )    F d x
0
4. G ra v ity : U g  m g (y  y 0)  m g h
5. S p rin g : s U  12 k ( x  x 0 ) 2
6. C o n s e rv a tio n o f e n e rg y if o n ly c o n s e rv a tiv e fo rc e s o p e ra te :
 K   U or | K   U  0 |
09-12
 Class #09
Problems of the Day

___1. The sum of potential and kinetic energy for a system

of moving objects is conserved
A) only when no net external force acts on the objects.
B) only when the objects move along closed paths.
C) only when the work done by the resultant external
force is zero.
D) only when non-conservative forces do no work on
the system.
E) none of the above

09-13
 Class #09
Problems of the Day

2. A marble with mass 5 g is placed on a vertical spring that has

been compressed 5 cm from its equilibrium position. The spring
constant is 196 N/m. Neglecting friction, air resistance, and the
mass of the spring, how high does the marble go when the spring is
released, counting the marble’s position on the compressed spring
as zero height? Use g = 9.8 N/kg.
Hint: Make sure you use consistent units.

09-14
 Activity #09
Conservation of Energy

Objective of the Activity:

1. Use LoggerPro to study mechanical energy in a

simple system.
2. Consider how kinetic energy, potential energy,
and total mechanical energy vary with position.

09-15