Download Potential Energy

Energy – is the ability to do
work. It is one of the basic
quantitative properties
describing a physical system or
object’s state. There are two
forms of mechanical energy –
potential energy and kinetic
energy.
Potential Energy (PE) – is the
stored energy of position. It will
be most concerned with the
stored energy due to the vertical
position of an object within
Earth’s gravitational field. Such
energy is known as the
gravitational potential energy.
Kinetic Energy (KE) – is defined
as the energy possessed by an
object due to its motion. The
amount of kinetic energy
possessed by a moving object is
dependent upon mass and
speed.
The following equation is used to
represent the kinetic energy (KE) of an
object.
KE = ½ mv2
Where:
m is the mass of the object in kg
v is the velocity of the object in
m/s &
KE is the kinetic energy in kgm2/s2 or N-m or Joule
Gravitational Potential Energy
– is the energy stored in an
object as the result of its vertical
position. It is the result of the
gravitational attraction of the
Earth for the object. It is
dependent on two variables – the
mass of the object (m) and the
height (h) to which that object is
raised.
It is given by the following equation:
PEgrav = mass x g x height
=mxgxh
=wxh
=J
Where:
w is in newtons
m is in kg
h is in meters &
g (approximately 9.8 m/s2 on
Earth)
PEgrav= weight (force to lift) x height
= 1 newton x 1 meter
= 1 Joule