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THE ABILITY TO CAUSE CHANGE

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mechanical energy

Energy

CLIP

Energy is the capacity (ability)

to do work.
Kinetic Energy: Associated with
an object in motion
Potential Energy: Present in an
object that has the potential to
move because of its position

Kinetic Energy

Motion
KE of an object
depends upon two
variables:

1.the mass (m) of the

object
2.the speed (v) of the
object.

Calculating Kinetic
Energy

A formula to
find the kinetic
energy of any
body based on
its velocity.

Potential
Energy

An object
can store
energy as
the result
of its
position.

Forms of potential
energy
-position ab
ove the Ear
ths surface

-stored in som
ething stretchy

-chemical reac

tion

Gravitational Potential
Energy

GPE is the energy stored in

an object as the result of
its vertical position (i.e., height).
Amt. of GPE is dependent on
two variables:
1.the mass
2.the height

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Calculating
Gravitational
Potential Energy

Conservation of
Energy
Energy cannot be created or

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Energy cannot be created or

destroyedonly changed
from one form to another.

The total energy of an isolated

system remains constant
(isolated systems have no
external forces and no mass
changes)

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ENERGY BEFORE =
ENERGY AFTER

Energy can be
changed from one
form to another,
but it does not

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Mechanical
Energy
of some objects
The motion

contain a combination of only

kinetic and potential energies.
ME is the sum of the KE
and forms PE associated
with a system
Therefore, ME= KE + PE

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Conservation of
Energy

TOTAL ENERGY OF THE

SYSTEM REMAINS THE SAME

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Conservation of Energy

TOTAL ENERGY OF THE

SYSTEM REMAINS THE SAME

 This dolphin has lots of kinetic energy as it leaves

the water. At its highest point its energy is mostly
potential energy.

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Conservation of
Mechanical Energy:

Therefore,

MEi = MEf
KEi + PEi = KEf + PEf
2
2
mv
+
mgh
=

mv
+ mghf

i
i
f

The sum K + Ug is not changed when an object is in free

fall. Its initial and final values are equal:

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Conservation of Mechanical
Energy:
Conservation of ME only hold
true when the only energies
of the system are KE and PE.
Therefore, in the presence of
friction energy is
transformed to other types
of energies.

Elastic Potential Energy

Spring stores energy