Mechanical Work and Energy

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Flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on mechanical work and energy.

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12 Terms

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Mechanical Work

The product of the force acting on an object and the displacement of that object in the direction of the force.

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Scalar Quantity

A physical quantity that has magnitude only and no direction, such as energy.

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Driving Force

Forces that perform positive mechanical work when their direction coincides with the direction of displacement.

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Resistance Forces

Forces that do negative mechanical work, like frictional forces acting against the direction of motion.

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Kinetic Energy

The energy possessed by an object due to its motion, defined as KE = 1/2 mv².

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Potential Energy

The energy stored in an object due to its position or configuration, often associated with gravitational forces.

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Conservative Forces

Forces for which the work done is independent of the path taken and depends only on the initial and final positions.

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Non-Conservative Forces

Forces for which the work done depends on the path taken, such as friction.

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Law of Conservation of Mechanical Energy

A principle stating that the total mechanical energy of an isolated system remains constant if only conservative forces act.

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Power

The rate at which work is done or energy is transferred, measured in watts.

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Equipotential Surface

A surface on which the potential energy at every point is the same.

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Gradient of Potential Energy

A vector that points in the direction of the greatest increase of potential energy, indicating the direction of the force.