Chapter 8: Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy

This set of flashcards covers important vocabulary and concepts related to potential energy and conservation of energy in the context of physics.

Conservative Force

A force where the work done is stored as potential energy that can be converted back to kinetic energy later.

Nonconservative Force

A force where the work done does not store energy, leading to energy being transformed into other forms, like heat.

Potential Energy (U)

The energy stored in an object as a result of its position in a force field, such as gravitational or elastic.

Conservation of Mechanical Energy

The principle stating that in an isolated system, the total mechanical energy remains constant if only conservative forces are acting.

Work Done by Conservative Forces

The work done by conservative forces is independent of the path taken and is zero when moving around a closed path.

Gravitational Potential Energy

Potential energy associated with the gravitational field, typically given by the formula U = mgy, where m is mass, g is gravitational acceleration, and y is height.

Work Done by Nonconservative Forces

When nonconservative forces do work, the total mechanical energy of the system is not conserved, and the work depends on the specific path taken.

Equipotential Lines

Lines or curves in a potential energy diagram where the potential energy is constant, indicating no work is done when moving along them.

Mechanical Energy

The sum of kinetic and potential energies in a system; conserved only in systems that are subject solely to conservative forces.

Potential Energy Curve

A graph showing how potential energy changes with the position of an object, reflecting the work done against conservative forces.