Watt

is your Name? Date:

Physics Summary Due:
Test Date:

Unit 5:
Energy
Essential Questions
• How are work, energy, and power related?
• How can the motion of a complex system be
analyzed using energy?
By the end of this unit…
I will know
• Types of mechanical energy and their corresponding formulas
• The definitions of Work and Power
• The Work-Energy Principle (W = DKE)
• The Law of Conservation of Energy (EBefore = EAfter)
I will understand
• Energy can be transformed from one form to another
• The motion of a system can be predicted using energy methods
• Power is the rate at which energy is transformed
I will be able to
• Calculate Work done by various forces (gravity, friction, push, pull, etc.)
• Calculate Kinetic Energy, Gravitational Potential Energy, and Total Mechanical Energy
• Relate net work to change in kinetic energy
• Use the Law of Conservation of Energy to relate changes in kinetic energy to changes in potential
energy
• Predict motion using the conservation of energy
• Define and calculate Power
• Use power to relate work, time, and energy
• Define and relate units for force, work, energy, and power

Misconception:
Energy gets used up or runs out
Something not moving can’t have any energy
A force acting on an object does work even if the objects don’t move
Energy is destroyed in transformations from one type to another
Energy can be recycled
Gravitational potential energy is the only type of potential energy
A single object can “hold” gravitational potential energy
The same types of energy exist, regardless of the system
When an object is released to fall, the gravitational potential energy immediately becomes all kinetic energy

Energy is not related to Newton’s laws

Energy is a force
The gravitational potential energy lost is always equal to the kinetic energy gained
 Packet Contents
Intro to Energy ............................................................................................................................................................................pg 2
Work & Energy ............................................................................................................................................................................pg 7
Conservation ............................................................................................................................................................................ pg 12
Non-conservative forces ....................................................................................................................................................... pg 16
Springs ....................................................................................................................................................................................... pg 24
Graphs of energy ..................................................................................................................................................................... pg 31
Power ......................................................................................................................................................................................... pg34
Review ........................................................................................................................................................................................ pg 37

Introduction to Energy

How would you define Energy?



Give two examples of energy. Give two additional examples of something that is not energy.



A combination of ____________________ and ___________________ make up the universe.


___________________ ___________________
• Substances we touch, taste, feel • Mover of substances
• Occupies space • Observed when is being transferred or
transformed


_______________________ is the property of a system that allows it to do work

How would you define work? Give 2-3 examples of work you do on an everyday basis.

2
Work Done by a Constant Force

As you know by now, there are many words in physics that are not used in the same well-defined
way outside of the physics classroom. Work is certainly one of these words. In physics, work is
defined as the scalar product of force and displacement.

%⃗ = Fdcosq
%⃗ ⋅ (
! = $

Fsinθ
F

θ
Fcosθ

d

where )= work, *⃗ = force, +⃗ = displacement, and q is the angle between the applied force and the
displacement. The force and displacement vectors are multiplied together in such a way that the
product yields a scalar. Thus, work is not a vector, and has no direction associated with it. Since
work is the product of force and displacement, it has units of newton-meters, or joules (J). A joule is
the work done by applying a force of one newton through a displacement of one meter. One joule is
about the amount of work you do in lifting your calculator to a height of one meter. For work to be
done on an object, the force must have a component in the same direction as the
displacement.

d=5m

In order for positive work to be done, the following must take place SI Units: Work is measured in joules
• A force is applied 1 Joule = 1 Newton ⋅ 1 meter
• The object moves in the direction the force was applied 1 J = 1 N ⋅ m

Work Examples:

1.) How much work is done when a box is pushed with a 5N force for 6 m? ans. 30 J





2.) How much work is done by gravity when a 5 kg object falls 10 m to the ground? ans. 490 J





3.) How much work is done on a bowling ball that rolls at a constant speed down a frictionless bowling alley?
ans. 0 J




4.) How much work is done on a 1000 kg car that is slowed to a stop by a frictional force of 400 N over a 50 m
distance? ans. -20,000 J





5.) In the figures below, identical boxes of mass 10 kg are moving at the same initial velocity to the right on a
flat surface. The same magnitude force, F, is applied to each box for the distance, d, indicated in the figures.

Mechanical Energy Definitions

Mechanical Energy is energy due to Position and Motion

Kinetic Energy (KE) is energy due to motion

.
,- = 01/
/

• 2 = mass (kg)
• 3 = velocity (m/s)



Potential Energy is stored energy with the potential to do work

Gravitational Potential Energy (GPE or just PE) is stored energy with the potential to do work. It
is equal to the work done lifting the object (weight * height of the object).

4- = 056
• 2 = mass (kg)
• 7 = acceleration due to gravity (m/s/s)
• ℎ = height (m)


SI Units
; A < DE∙A G
• 9: = < (>7) @ B C = BH
= IJKLMN (I)
A DE∙A G
• O: = (>7)( G )(2) = = IJKLMN (I)
B BH


Total Mechanical Energy (TME or just E) of an object is the sum of the KE and PE.

- = ,- + 4-

Mechanical Energy Definitions
1
Kinetic energy (KE ) of an object is the energy due to its motion. KE = mv2
2
Potential energy (PE) of an object is the energy due to its position. PE = mgh
UNITS: When mass is in kg, v is in m/s, h is in meters, and g = 9.8 m/s2, then KE and PE are in
joules (J).

(1) A 6 kg object moving at 10 m/s has a kinetic energy (KE ) of .

(2) A 1000 kg vehicle moving at 20 m/s (about 45 mph) has a KE of .

(3) An object moving at 7 m/s has a KE of 200 J if its mass is .

(4) A 50 kg child has a KE of 100 J when she runs at .

(5) The potential energy of a 4 kg mass held 2.5 m above the ground is .

(6) An 18 kg object having a PE of 220.5 J must be at a height of .

(7) An object with a PE of 135 J at a height of 4.5 m must have a mass of .

(8) In the figures below, balls are traveling in different directions. The balls have the same size and shape, but they have
different masses and are traveling at different velocities as shown.

Rank the kinetic energy of the balls.

Explain your reasoning.

2
 Work-Energy

A 1000 kg car accelerates uniformly from rest for a time of 6 seconds over a 90 m distance d.

(a) What acceleration a does the car experience?



(b) What final speed (vf) does the car attain?



(c) What net force was applied by the car’s engine?



(d) How much work was done by the net force acting on the car?



(e) How much did the kinetic energy of the car change during those 6 seconds?




Work-Energy Principle

We defined work (W) as the product of force (F) and displacement (d).
From Newton’s Second Law of Motion, we know that F = ma

) = * ∙ + = 2 ∙ Q ∙ +

By solving one of our kinematics equations R3S < − 3U < = 2Q+W for acceleration RQ = (3S < − 3U < )/2+W,
we can see an interesting relationship from the equation above.

3S < − 3U < 2 1 1
) =2∙Q∙+ = 2∙ ∙ + = Y3S < − 3U < Z = 23S < − 23U < = 9:S − 9:U
2+ 2 2 2

In other words, work done is equal to change in Kinetic Energy

\) = ∆9:
]^_

Work-Energy Problems

Work is force times displacement W=F•d
Work done on an object changes the object’s kinetic energy. W=ΔKE
Work done by gravity is equal in magnitude to an object’s change in gravitational potential energy. Wg=-ΔUg

1.) A 4N force is applied to a stationary 2 kg object for a distance of 5 meters.

The amount of work that was done is .

The KE of the object becomes .

The speed of the object after the work is done is .

2.) A 3 N force was applied to a stationary cart for a distance of 4 m. The cart’s speed after the work done was 6 m/s.

The amount of work done on the cart was .

The mass of the cart was .

3.) A 3 kg mass is lifted from the ground at constant speed through a vertical distance of 5 m.

The force necessary to pull the mass up at constant speed is .

The work done on the mass is .

The PE of the mass after the work is done is .

4.)








(a) What potential energy will each 20 kg block of ice possess once placed onto the 1 m high table?


(b) When talking things over Patty insists that she did less work than Larry while placing her block on the table. Is she
correct in saying this? Support your answer.



(c) What upward force did Fred exert to lift his block onto the table?



(d) What force up the ramp did Susan exert to place her block onto the table?

 5.) What force F is required to pull a 9 kg crate up the 15 meter long ramp shown below?

6.) A 40 kg object must be pulled up a ramp. If the largest force a person can exert is 320 N, what minimum ramp length d
must be used to accomplish the job?

Problem #7
SCENARIO: A 1kg cart, starting from rest moves to the right along a horizontal frictionless surface while being pushed
by a horizontal force F as shown above. The force acting on the cart as a function of displacement is graphed below.

Data Analysis:

Part A: Claim: The cart will have a change in mechanical

energy of 48J as its displacement is changed by 12 m.

Collect evidence about the physical meaning of the area under

the line on the graph that can be used to support the claim
above. Write an equation (including units) for the area between
the Force line and the x-axis between x = 0m and x = 12m.

Evidence: The area under the line of the Force vs. displacement graph is equal to x =
number units number units

. This area is also known as the done on the object.

number units physical quantity

Reasoning: Fills in the blanks of the following statement.

The claim makes sense because the ______________ done on the cart is also equal to the change in

_______________ ____________________ of the object.

Part B. Explain how the graph above could be used to determine the final speed of the cart after 12m.

9
Using Representations:
Part C. On the grid at right, sketch a graph of the acceleration of the cart as
a function of displacement from x=0m to x=12m.
Part D. Angela, after creating her graph of acceleration vs. time says, “Oh,
the slope of a velocity graph represents the acceleration, so since the
acceleration is constant at 4m/s2, the velocity should be a line with a slope
of 4m/s2.

Do you agree with Angela?

________ Yes ________ No. Explain.

Part E. Sketch a graph of the velocity of the cart as a function of position.

QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS:
2 2
Part F. The equation v = v0 + 2a(Dx) can help describe the velocity of an object with a constant acceleration as a
function of position. Is this equation consistent with the graph you sketched in Part E? Explain.

Problem #8
A child applies a force F to a 15 kg sled moving on the frozen
surface of a small pond (frictionless). Fx, the x-component of
F, is parallel to the pond’s surface. As the child controls the
speed of the sled the Fx she applies varies with the x coordinate
of the sled as shown above. Assume the sled was at rest at x = 0.
Hint: A N•m is equivalent to a joule.
Using energy considerations, determine the following quantities:

(a) The sled’s speed at the x = 10 m mark. ans: 2 m/s

(b) The sled’s speed at the x = 15 m mark. ans: 2.83 m/s

(c) From x = 20 m to x = 30 m the child does negative work on the sled, thus slowing it down. What is the sled’s
speed at the x = 30 m mark ? ans: 2.45 m/s

10
Problem #10
As depicted at right, an x-directed net force Fnet is applied to a 3 kg rolling cart.. Assume the cart had a
x

+x-directed vo = 2 m/s when at x = 0.

Determine:
(a) The speed attained by the cart at the 4 m mark.

(b) The speed attained by the cart at the 6 m mark.

(c) The speed attained by the cart at the 12 m mark.

Problem #11

7
 Conservative Forces versus Non-conservative Forces
A force is said to be conservative if the work done by the force does not depend on the path taken between
any two points. The gravitational force and the spring force are two examples of conservative forces. These
two forces conserve energy during a round trip. A force is said to be non-conservative if the work done by the
force depends on the path taken. Friction is the most common example of a non-conservative force on the AP
Physics exam, since a taking longer path will dissipate more heat energy. Work done by a non-conservative
force generally cannot be recovered as usable energy.

Example: As a 2kg cart rolls along a 5 meter long surface its velocity changes from 8m/s to 6 m/s. What the is
the energy dissipated through heat during this time?

The Conservation of Mechanical Energy

When work is done on a system, the energy of that system changes from one form to another, but the total
amount of energy remains the same. We say that total energy is conserved, that is, remains constant during
any process. This is also called the law of conservation of energy.

aEbefore = aEafter

We can use the fact that the sum of the potential and kinetic energies remains constant during free fall to
solve for quantities such as speed or initial height.

aEtop = aEbottom
Utop + Ktop = Ubottom + Kbottom
mghtop + ½ mvtop2 = mghbottom + ½ mvbottom2

The sum of the kinetic and potential energies of a system is called the total mechanical energy (TME or just E)
of the system. These same principles can be applied to a block sliding down a frictionless ramp, a pendulum
swinging from a height, and many other situations. We could use Newton’s laws and kinematics to solve these
types of problems, but usually conservation of energy is easier to apply.

Example: The skier starts from rest.

(a) What is the skier’s speed at ground level?
(b) What is the skier’s speed once at the 8 m level?

 Conservation of Energy

$
Kinetic energy (KE) of an object is the energy due to its motion. !" = % &' %
Potential energy (PE) of an object is the energy due to its position. (" = &)ℎ
A: height = 30 meters
Total Mechanical Energy (E) of an object is sum of the KE and PE. " = !" + ("
velocity = 0 m/s
mass = 50 kg UNITS: When m is in kg, v is in m/s, h is in meters, and g is in m/s2, then KE and PE



PE = ____________ PE = ____________ PE = ____________
PE = ____________
KE = ___________ KE = ___________ KE = ___________
KE = ___________
E = ____________ E = ____________ E = ____________
E = ____________


D: height = 12 meters
velocity = ___ m/s

B: height = 15 meters E: height = 10 meters
velocity = ___ m/s
velocity = ___ m/s




PE = ____________
KE = ___________ C: height = 0 meters
E = ____________ velocity = ___ m/s
Conservation of Energy Problems

Problem #1
a) assuming the roller coaster car at the top of the 90 meter hill has zero velocity. What is the man’s total energy?

b) What is the man’s Kinetic Energy and speed at point B?

c) What is his KE and speed at point C?

d) What is his KE and speed at point D?

9
Problem #2
a) assuming the roller coaster car at the top of the 90 meter hill has a 10m/s velocity. What is the man’s total energy?

b) What is the man’s Kinetic Energy and speed at point B?

c) What is his normal force at location B?

d) How many g’s is the man experiencing at B?

10
 Problem 3
Shown are blocks that slide down frictionless inclines. All masses start from rest at the top of the incline.

Rank the kinetic energy of the sliding masses the instant they reach the bottom of the incline. Explain your
reasoning.

Would your answer change if all the inclines had a coefficient of friction? Please explain

Non-conservative Energy Problems

The net work done on an object changes the objects kinetic energy
6789 = ∆:;
6<=>?@9A + 6C = ∆:;
6C = ∆:; + ∆D<
G G
−EC ∙ F = I?HC − I?H@ + I<JC − I<J@
H H

11
SCENARIO: A ball falls from rest from a height h. Consider the ball to be the system.
USE REPRESENTATIONS
Part A. Circle the system with dotted circle

Part B. The dot at right represents the ball.

Draw a free-body diagram showing and labeling the

forces (not components) exerted on the ball. Draw
the relative lengths of all vectors to reflect the
relative magnitudes of all the forces. Each force
must be represented by a distinct arrow starting on,
and pointing away from, the dot.

Part C. On the grid at left, sketch a graph of the net external force on the ball vs. height.
What are the units of the area under the curve? What does the area under the curve
represent?

Part D. Fill in the energy bar chart to the right with the initial energy when
the ball is first released from a height h and the final energy just before
the ball hits the ground.

ARGUMENTATION
Part E. Does the mechanical energy increase decrease or stay the same as the ball falls from height h? Justify your answer
by referencing the energy bar chart created in Part D.

Part F. If the system were to include the Earth, how would that
change the energy bar chart? Sketch a new chart and discuss
the changes.

Part G. If the system were to include the Earth, would the

mechanical energy increase, decrease or stay the same as
while the ball was falling? Justify your answer by referencing
the energy bar chart created in Part F.

17
SCENARIO: A ball is released from rest at a height h above the floor. Consider the system to be the ball and the Earth. Air
resistance can be ignored.
USE REPRESENTATIONS:
Part A. On the following axis, sketch graphs of:
i. Ug vs. distance fallen, K vs. distance fallen and total mechanical energy vs. distance fallen. Clearly label
each line or provide a key.

ii. Ug vs. time, K vs. time and total mechanical energy vs. time. Clearly label each line or provide a key.

AGRUMENTATION
Part B. When the ball is halfway to the ground (at ½ h) is its kinetic energy: more than, less than, or exactly equal to half of
its maximum kinetic energy? Explain.

________ More than ½ Kmax ________ Less than ½ Kmax

Part C. When the ball is halfway through falling (at t=1/2T) is its kinetic energy: more than, less than, or exactly equal to, half
of its maximum kinetic energy? Explain.

________ More than ½ Kmax ________ Less than ½ Kmax _________ Exactly 1/2Kmax

18
 Problem 4
A block is pushed at constant speed up a ramp from point A to point B. The direction of the force on the block by the hand is horizontal.
There is friction between the block and the ramp. The distance between points
A and B is 1 m.
a) The work done on the block by the hand as the block travels from point
A to point B
(i) is zero.
(ii) is negative.
(iii) is positive.
(iv) could be positive or negative depending on the choice of coordinate
systems.
Explain your reasoning.

b) The work done on the block by the normal force from the ramp as the block travels from point A to point B
(i) is zero.
(ii) is negative.
(iii) is positive.
(iv) could be positive or negative depending on the choice of coordinate systems.
Explain your reasoning.

c) The work done on the block by the friction force from the ramp as the block travels from point A to point B
(i) is zero.
(ii) is negative.
(iii) is positive.
(iv) could be positive or negative depending on the choice of coordinate systems.
Explain your reasoning.

d) The kinetic energy of the block at point B

(i) is greater than the kinetic energy of the block at point A.
(ii) is less than the kinetic energy of the block at point A.
(iii) is equal to the kinetic energy of the block at point A.
(iv) cannot be compared to the kinetic energy of the block at point A unless we know the height difference
between A and B.
Explain your reasoning.

e) The net work done on the block as it travels from point A to point B (i) is zero.
(ii) is negative.
(iii) is positive.
(iv) could be positive or negative depending on the choice of coordinate systems.
Explain your reasoning.

f) The work done on the block by the hand as the block travels from point A to point B
(i) is equal to 1 m times the magnitude of the force exerted on the block by the hand.
(ii) is greater than 1 m times the magnitude of the force exerted on the block by the hand.
(iii) is less than 1 m times the magnitude of the force exerted on the block by the hand but not zero.
(iv) is zero.
(v) cannot be compared to the magnitude of the force exerted on the block by the hand based on the information
given.
Explain your reasoning.

12
 Problem #5
If a 70 kg crate is released from rest at A, determine its speed at point B after it slides 9 m down the inclined
plane. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the crate and plane is µ = .3. [Use Wnet=ΔKE]
ans: 6.5m/s






























Problem #6
If a 60 kg crate is released from rest at A, determine its speed after it slides 10 m down the inclined plane. The coefficient
of kinetic friction between the crate and plane is µk = .3.
Use Wnet=ΔKE
ans: 6.86m/s




10m

13
 2
Problem #7 (Careful! g=32 ft/s )

The 30 lb box at location ‘A’ is released from rest and slides down along the smooth ramp and onto the surface of a
cart. If the cart is fixed from moving, determine the distance x from the end of the cart (D) to where the box stops
(C). The coefficient of kinetic friction between the cart and the box is µk = .6.
You must use Wnet=ΔKE. ans: 3.33 ft











Problem #8 (Careful! g=32 ft/s/s)

The 3,200 lb automobile shown is traveling up the 20˚ incline at a speed of 20 ft/s. If the driver wishes to stop his car
in a distance of 15 ft, determine the frictional force at the pavement which must be supplied by the rear wheels.
Begin with Wnet=ΔKE ans: 239 lb

14


Problem #9
At location A the bicyclist has a speed of v = 2.4 m/s. If he
coasts without pedaling from the top of the hill at A to the
shore at B and then leaps off the shore, determine his
launch speed at B and his impact speed at C. The rider
and his bicycle have a total mass of 70 kg. Neglect the
size of the bicycle and wind resistance.
ans: 10.9 m/s; 12.4 m/s

15
Problem #10
A car, assumed to be rigid and having a mass of
800 kg, strikes a barrel-barrier installation without
the driver applying the brakes. From experiments,
the magnitude of the force of resistance Fx created
by deforming the barrels successively, is shown as
a function of vehicle penetration. If the car strikes
the barrier traveling at vc = 19.4 m/s, determine
approximately the distance x to which the car
penetrates the barrier. ans: 2.75 m

16
Work and Energy with Varying Forces

Hooke's law is a principle of physics that states that the force (F) needed to
extend or compress a spring by some distance X varies linearly with respect
to that distance. That is: <<<⃗
:; = −>?⃗
• k is a characteristic of the spring: called spring constant (basically
the stiffness of the spring)
• ?⃗ is the displacement of the spring from its equilibrium state. (Here
we assume x is small compared to the total possible deformation of
the spring.
• <<<⃗
:; is the force the spring exerts. This will always be opposite the
direction of the displacement of the spring, hence the negative sign
A
• The energy stored in the spring is called elastic potential energy (Us) and is defined as @; = B >? B

Intro problems
1.) A 20 cm-long spring with a spring constant of 100 N/m is stretched to a length of 21 cm.
a. What force is required to hold it in this stretched position?
b. When it is stretched this far, how much energy is stored the system?
Ans: 1N, 0.005 J

2.) A 40 cm spring is compressed to 35 cm.

a. A 3 N force is required to hold the spring in this position.
What is the spring constant of this spring?
b. How much energy is stored in the spring?
c. The spring is now compressed to 30 cm.
What force is required to hold the spring in this position?
d. How much energy is now stored in the spring?
e. How much work is required to compress the spring from 40 to 35 cm?
f. How much work is required to compress the spring from 35 to 30 cm?
g. Why aren’t the answers to e and f the same?
Ans: 60N/m, 0.075 J; 6N; 0.3J, 0.075 J; 0.225J

POGO STICK LAB

25
 3.) A spring with a spring constant of 75 N/m has a length of 20 cm when hung
vertically. How far will it stretch if a 3 kg mass is hung on the end? How much
energy is stored in the spring at this point? Repeat these calculations if a 6 kg mass
is hung on the end.
Ans. 39.2 cm; 5.76 J
78.4 cm; 23 J

4.) A spring with a spring constant of k has a length of l when hung vertically. How far
will it stretch if mass m is hung on the end?
Ans. mg/k

5.) A crate of mass m attached to a spring of stiffness k on a frictionless ramp that makes an angle q with the
horizontal. Find the stretch of the spring in terms of m, k, q, and fundamental constants.
CD;EFG
Ans.
H

How would the stretch amount change if there was friction?

 4.) A 40-N box is initially at rest on a smooth (frictionless) horizontal surface. An unstretched spring
with spring constant 10 N/m connects the box to the wall. A 60 N force is applied horizontally to
the right.

Complete the energy bar chart for the spring-block-earth

system as the block moves a distance of 2 m. Label the
column heights. Set the zero point for the gravitational
potential energy at the center of the block.

18
Work and Energy with Varying Forces Practice Problems

Problem #1
A performer on a skateboard is launched by a spring
initially compressed a distance Dx as shown. His speed
on the horizontal portion of the ramp is v, and he rises to
a height H after he leaves the ramp. Ignore friction
effects.

Draw an energy bar chart for the earth-

skateboarder-spring system as he goes from the
compressed spring position at rest to when he
reaches the height H. Put the zero point for the
gravitational potential energy at the initial height of the performer before launching.

Find an expression for the maximum height, H, of the skateboarder given the spring constant, k and the
spring compression, Dx












19

Problem #2

A block with mass .5 kg is forced against a horizontal spring of negligible mass, compressing the spring a distance
of .2 m (shown above). When released, the block moves on a horizontal table top for 1 m before coming to rest. The
spring constant k is 100 N/m. What is the coefficient of kinetic friction, µk, between the block and the table ? ans: .408

20
Work and Energy Graphs

Example: Let’s say the total energy of the object represented by the U vs. x graph is 20 J. This means that the sum of
the potential and kinetic energy of the object at any displacement is 20 J, even though the potential energy on the
graph goes higher than 20 J.

(a) What is the relationship between the potential energy and the displacement of this object?


(b) What is the potential energy of the object when it is at a displacement of – 2 m?


(c) What is the maximum displacement of the object?


(d) What is the kinetic energy of the object when it is at a displacement of 3 m?


(e) What is the speed of the object when it is at a displacement of 3 m?

22

Problem #1 An object moves along the x-axis subject to the
potential energy curve shown at right. Assume the object
starts at rest at location A.

(a) what is the kinetic energy that the particle has at 2m?





(b) If the object is 2kg then what velocity exists at 2m?





(c) What is the total energy that the object has at point C?





What is the speed of the object at point E
(d)





Problem #2 The object is now made to start at location c with
a velocity of zero,

(a) where could the object go?



(b) What force is the object experiencing at location C?




(c) What force is the object experiencing at location D?




(d) What is the difference about locations C and D?

23
 Problem #3
The potential energy U of 2.0
kg object as a function of
distance x from its
equilibrium position is shown
above. The object is acted
upon by a force F. This
particular object has a total
energy E of 30 J.
















(a) What is the magnitude of the force F acting on the object between the displacements
x1 = - 2 m and x2 = - 6 m?



(b) What is the magnitude of the acceleration of this object between the displacements
x1 = - 2 m and x2 = - 6 m?




(c) Can the object reach a displacement of x = - 8 m? Explain.




(d) The object first reaches its maximum kinetic energy at which displacement?



(e) Determine the change in the speed of the object between x = 3 m and x = 5 m.

24
Power
Work can be done slowly or quickly, but the time taken to perform the work doesn’t affect the
amount of work which is done (there is no element of time in the definition for work). However, if
you do the work quickly, you are operating at a higher power level than if you do the work slowly.
Power is defined as the rate at which work is done. Oftentimes we think of electricity when we
think of power, but it can be applied to mechanical work and energy as easily as it is applied to
electrical energy. The equation for power is

Work
P= (Relate this to velocity)
time

Power has units of joules/second or watts (W). A machine is producing one watt of power if it is
doing one joule of work every second. A 75-watt light bulb uses 75 joules of energy each second.

Motor

h
v

m

#1) A motor raises a mass of 3 kg to a height h at a constant speed of 0.05 m/s. The battery (not
shown) which provides energy to the motor originally stores 4 J of energy, all of which can be used
to lift the mass.

(a) What is the power developed in the motor?



(b) To what maximum height can the motor lift the mass using its stored energy?

25
 #2) A man having a mass of 68.1 kg is able to run up a 4.57
m high flight of stairs in 4 seconds. Determine the power
generated.



How long would a 100 W light bulb have to burn to expend
the same amount of energy ?
ans. 762.5 W; 30.5 sec




#3 A force of 5 N moves a 6 kg object along a rough level floor at a constant speed of 2.5 m/s.
(a) What force of friction is acting on the object?
ans: 5 N (opposite to motion)



(b) How much work is done by this 5 N force in 25 seconds?
ans: 312.5 J



(c) What power is being developed by the 5 N force?
ans: 12.5 W



(d) What is the total work done on the object?





#5 The motor of an elevator can produce 2200 W of power. The elevator has a mass of 1100 kg
complete with contents. At what constant speed will the elevator rise?
ans: .204 m/s

26
#6 A 50 kg cyclist on a 10 kg bicycle speeds up
from 5 m/s to 10 m/s.
(a) What was the initial Ktotal ? [‘Total’ refers to
bike and cyclist.]

ans: 750 J
(b) What was the Ktotal once 10 m/s was
attained ?

ans: 3000 J
(c) How much work was done in going from 5
m/s to 10 m/s ?

ans: 2250 J

(d) Is
it the same work to speed up from 5 to 10
m/s rather than from 0 m/s to 5 m/s ?

(e)If the cyclist is able to generate 800 W of

leg power, how long did the 5 m/s to 10 m/s
change in speed take ?

ans: 2.8 sec

What forward force did the cyclist’s legs
(f)
generate ?

ans: 107.1 N
(g) Over what distance did the acceleration take
place ?

ans: 21 m

36
#7 Jason and Brent race up a hill that is 30 m high. Jason takes a path that is 60 m while Brent uses a longer
path that is 100 m long. It takes Jason 40 seconds, while Brent runs up his path in a shorter time of 30 seconds.
They both start from rest at the same height and stop at the top. Also, they have the same weight.

(a) Is the work that Jason does in going up the hill (i) greater than, (ii) less than, or (iii) the same as the work that Brent
does in going up the hill? _____
Explain your reasoning.

(b) Is the power generated by Jason in going up the hill (i) greater than, (ii) less than, or (iii) the same as the power
generated by Brent in going up the hill? _____
Explain your reasoning.

Review Questions
Conceptual #1 In each case below, an arrow has been shot from the top of a building either up at a 45o angle, straight out
horizontally, or down at a 45o angle. All arrows are identical and are shot at the same speed, and the heights of the buildings and
the direction the arrows are shot are given. Ignore air resistance.

37
Conceptual Review #2
SCENARIO: Three identical blocks are released from height h.
Block A is dropped from rest, block B slides from rest down a
frictionless incline and block C is launched horizontally with
speed v0.

ARGUMENTATION:
Dominique and Carlos are working out which block will have the
fastest speed just before hitting the ground and which block will
reach the ground first.

Carlos states, “They will all have the same speed before hitting the ground. Remember that we saw this
demonstration in class, that it didn’t matter how the blocks are dropped. The speed will be the same because of
conservation of energy, all blocks have the same gravitational potential energy to start with, that is the total energy
and that converts all into kinetic energy.”

Dominique states, “I think you’re mixing up time and speed. They won’t have the same speed at the end because
box C has an initial velocity. They will all land at the same time though.”

Part A.
i. Which parts of student Dominique’s reasoning are correct?

ii. Which parts of Student Carlos’ reasoning are correct?

iii. Which parts of Student Dominique’s reasoning are incorrect? Explain how you know.

iv. Which parts of Student Carlos’ reasoning are incorrect? Explain how you know.

USE REPRESENTATIONS:
Part B. A fourth identical block is now released from rest at the top of a curved track
of radius R.

Draw free-body diagrams showing and labeling the forces (not components) exerted
on the block at each of the two positions shown at right. Draw the relative lengths of
all vectors to reflect the relative magnitudes of all the forces.

38
 QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS:
Part C. Blake comes up with the following equation for the work done by the normal
force during the slide:
p
Wnormal = Rmg cos q , where R is the radius of curvature of the ramp, and θ is the
2
angle through which the box has traveled.

i. Angela suggests that the equation could be incorrect. Does the equation make physical sense?

___________ Yes ___________ No

Briefly explain your reasoning.

ii. Dominique says that the Wnormal = 0 regardless of the physical situation. Explain why this claim makes physical
sense.

39
Graphical #1
An object moves along the x-axis subject to
the potential energy curve shown at right.
Assume the object starts at rest at location
A.

A.) Calculate the force experienced by the object while in motion from location E to F. Fill in and
Circle. In what direction is this force applied ? Show work.the force is and is applied
in the (+ / - ) x-direction the object is ( speeding up / slowing down ) while in motion
from location E to F

b) Fill-in and circle a correct choice in the following statements (show appropriate work in the
spaces below).

As the object passes by location E it is moving at 50 m/s. This implies that the object’s
mass is and that the object’s velocity changes
by when in motion from location C to D.

c.) When the object passes by location B the force

experienced by the object changes from (+ to -

/ - to +) x-directed. The average power
developed by the force while the object moves
from location E to F is

40
 Numerical
Review #1
The block shown slides from rest at location A and
loops around the radius R loop prior to being
launched at lo- cation C. All surfaces are
assumed frictionless.
(a) What minimum height H will ensure that the
block remains in contact with the loop
surface at location B ? Answer in terms of
radius R.
(b) With what speed v will the block be launched for a
height H and launcher height h ? Answer in terms of
H, h, and g.
ans: 2.5R; 2g(H - h)

Review #2
(a) At what height h above the ground does the ball begin to move ? Assume µ = 0.
(b) What is the ball’s speed when it hits the ground ?
ans: 2.69 m; 7.26 m/s

30
 Review #3
A car in an amusement park ride rolls without friction around a track. The car’s speed while at point A (at a
height h = 40 m above ground level) is 8 m/s. If the circular loop radius R = 10 m, determine the speed of the
car at point C (at R distance above ground level).

Review #4
To what angle q will the ball rise before momentarily coming to rest ?

Review #5
An 8 kg hanging mass falls to the ground while dragging a 5 kg block over a rough
table surface (µ = .3). What speed vf does the 8 kg block strike the ground with ?
Masses released from rest; must use energy methods in solving this problem.
ans: 3.5 m/s

31
Two types of energy problems Work (Nm) Energy (Joules) Power (Watts) k=N/m
Conservative NO FRICTION Non-Conservative FRICTION
IFJK = ∆LM IFJK = ∆LM
Works that can be done will have all Works that can be done will have all
corresponding potential energy functions corresponding potential energy functions
IDNOPEKQ = −∆@D IDNOPEKQ = −∆@D
I;RNEFD = −∆@; I;RNEFD = −∆@;
So we can move all terms to the right side of
the Wnet equation as energy and we have EXCEPT IUU = −VV(X)
So we can move all terms except Wff to the
0 = ∆@; + ∆@D + ∆LM right side of the Wnet equation as energy and
we have
Which can be rearranged to say
−VV(X) = ∆@; + ∆@D + ∆LM
MEFEKEOT = MUEFOT
Which can be rewritten to say

MEFEKEOT − VV(X) = MUEFOT

M Vghij
% of energy conserved =
M ghgkgij


Basic formulas to remember
I = : ∙ X = :X cos(l) Works can be negative, zero or positive

IDNOPEKQ = mnℎ will be negative if the mass is moving up

∆@D = mnℎU − mnℎE

:;RNEFD = |>?| will be helpful for finding center of oscillation, the equilibrium position (:FJK = 0)

A A
∆@; = B >?U B − B >?E B Suggestion x is only zero for springs not stretched or compressed

A
LM = B mq B If in motion there is kinetic energy

Isv> :X ∆@D ∆LM
rstuv = = = :qOPJNODJ = =
kgmu k k k



Only conservative forces have U
Area = work U and x graphs
F If given mass we can x F = - slope
x find speed. From initial condition you can find
IFJK = ∆LM total energy that remains the
same the whole time.

41