Conservation of Energy Study Guide

A collection of flashcards based on the Conservation of Energy study guide, covering key terms and concepts for exam preparation.

What law states that energy can change form but the total amount is constant in a closed system?

The law of conservation of energy.

What is the term for the energy of motion, measured in joules?

Kinetic energy.

In a collision where kinetic energy decreases, what type of collision is it considered?

An inelastic collision.

What type of potential energy is related to an object's height above the ground?

Gravitational potential energy.

What is the energy stored in a compressed spring called?

Elastic potential energy.

What describes the sum of kinetic and potential energy in a system?

Mechanical energy.

What type of collision does not change the kinetic energy after impact?

An elastic collision.

What is the reference level in physics?

The position at which the potential energy is defined to be zero.

What is the increase in kinetic energy equal to when work is done on an object?

The work done on the object.

What happens to the kinetic energy of an object if its velocity is doubled?

The kinetic energy increases by a factor of four.

How is kinetic energy calculated for an object?

KE = 0.5 * mass * velocity^2.

What energy is involved when an archer pulls back a bowstring?

Elastic potential energy.

What happens to potential energy as an object falls?

It converts to kinetic energy.

When the height of an object changes, how does it affect the potential energy?

Potential energy changes according to the height.

What physical quantity does not change for an elastic collision?

Total momentum.

What happens to kinetic energy in an inelastic collision?

Kinetic energy is not conserved.

What is the formula for gravitational potential energy?

PE = mass * gravity * height.

If two objects have the same velocity, which has greater kinetic energy: a baseball or a ping pong ball?

The baseball has greater kinetic energy.

What is the potential energy of a ball at reference level or ground level?

0 J.