PHYSICS 1A03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Gravitational Energy, Conservative Force, Elastic Energy

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Physics
• Course: PHYSICS 1A03
• Professor: S. Cormier, K. Dalnoki-Veress

Document Summary

* kinetic: only speed matters, not direction (velocity) -> k = (cid:2869)(cid:2870)mv2. * gravitational potential: only y-position matters -> u = mgy. Work: changes in u only depend on -> = mg . *transfer of energy -> w = x . * total energy e conserved if no work done -> e = k + u = 0. * a force for which its work done on a particles as it moves from an initial to a final position is independent of the path followed id conservative force. Note: 1) the work done by conservative force is independent on the path taken. 2) the work done by a conservative force along a closed path is 0. 3) for a conservative force, wc = - u. * a non-conservative force does not satisfy the conditions of a conservative force. *non-conservative forces acting in a system cause a change in the mechanical energy of the system.