Unit 3: Work Energy and Power

Work

The product of the force applied to an object and the distance over which that force is applied.

**Kinetic energy**

the energy possessed by an object due to its motion. It is a scalar quantity and is dependent on the mass and velocity of the object.

Work Energy Theorem

Formula that relates the work done on an object to the change in its kinetic energy. It states that the net work done is equal to the change in kinetic energy.

Potential energy

The energy possessed by an object due to its position or state. It is the energy that an object has stored within itself, which can be released when the object is allowed to move or change its state.

Gravitational Potential Energy

It is the energy possessed by an object due to its position in a gravitational field. The higher an object is placed, the greater its gravitational potential energy.

Elastic Potential Energy

It is the energy possessed by an object due to its deformation or stretching. The more an object is stretched, the greater its elastic potential energy.

Chemical Potential Energy

It is the energy possessed by an object due to the arrangement of its atoms or molecules. The more energy stored in the chemical bonds, the greater the chemical potential energy.

Conservation of Energy

Total energy in a closed system remains constant. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but it can be transformed from one form to another.

Potential energy curves

graphical representations of the potential energy of a system as a function of the distance between two or more particles.

Power

the rate at which work gets done