Forms of mechanical energy Flashcards
Gain an understanding of different forms of mechanical energy in the domains of kinetic and potential energy.
Compressed spring has stored energy in which form?
Elastic potential energy
The energy stored in a compressed spring is called elastic potential energy. This energy is the result of the spring being displaced from its equilibrium position due to compression or stretching. The amount of energy stored in the spring is given by Hooke’s Law for springs, which relates the force needed to compress or stretch a spring to its displacement.
Moving water from a reservoir to the turbine has what form of energy?
Kinetic Energy
As water flows from the reservoir and gains speed while moving through pipes or channels toward the turbine, its gravitational potential energy is converted into kinetic energy. The faster the water moves, the more kinetic energy it has.
When speed of an object is doubled, its kinetic energy will be increased by what factor?
4
Doubling the speed of an object results in a fourfold increase in its kinetic energy because kinetic energy depends on the square of the velocity.
What unit is used to measure gravitational potential energy ?
Joules (J)
Gravitational potential energy is measured in joules (J).
The joule (J) is the standard unit of energy in the International System of Units (SI), and it is defined as the amount of energy transferred when a force of one newton is applied over a distance of one meter.
When an object is dropped from a skyscraper, its potential energy is converted in to what energy?
Kinetic Energy
When an object is dropped from a skyscraper, its gravitational potential energy is converted into kinetic energy as it falls. As the object falls, the potential energy decreases while the kinetic energy increases, maintaining the total mechanical energy (assuming no air resistance). By the time the object reaches the ground, almost all of its potential energy will have been converted into kinetic energy.
