Física I: Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy

FÍSICA I
Potential energy and conservation of energy
Juan Sotelo
Félix Díaz
In the previous session...
What is work?
What is kinetic energy?
2
How are work and kinetic energy related?
3
Outline
I. Conservative vs. Non-conservative Forces.

II. Work and Potential Energy.
III. Conservation of Energy.
IV. External Forces.
4
Conservative vs. Non-conservative Forces.
5
Work W is how energy is

transferred to or from a
system.
6
Forces can be split into two

categories known as conservative
and non-conservative.
7
Forces can be split into two

categories known as conservative
and non-conservative.
8
Consider:
➢ Two or more objects (e.g., earth + box)
➢ A force between them (e.g., mg)
➢ One object moves and work W1 is done (lift box up)
➢ The object returns and work is done W2 (set box down)
If W1 =-W2 is always true, no net work was done and that force is conservative. 9
The net work done by a conservative

force on a particle moving around
any closed path is zero.
Equivalently: The net work done by

a conservative force on a particle
moving from point a to point b is
independent of the path.
10
Work and Potential Energy
11
What is Potential Energy?
Potential Energy (U) is a form of energy associated with a conservative force
between a system of objects.
The spring force is conservative;

it stores potential energy and
then releases it.
12
What is Potential Energy?
Potential Energy (U) is a form of energy associated with a conservative force
between a system of objects.
Ball dropped from this point.

Potential energy is maximum
The gravitational force is conservative;

Kinetic energy increases,
potential energy decreases.
it stores potential energy and then
releases it when the object is dropped.
13
How are work and potential energy related?
For a conservative force, the change in Potential Energy is defined as
minus the work done by that conservative force.
The change in gravitational potential energy of an object near Earth’s surface is
Note: only the change is important!
14
Example: If you lift an object, gravity does negative work, so
15
The change in spring potential energy is
Note again: only the

change is important!
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/masses-and-springs/latest/masses-and-springs_en.html
16
How are potential energy and conservative forces related?
Potential energy and conservative forces are related through a derivative/integral

(by definition).
1D
We would get analogous results if we took our displacements in the y or z

directions. We can combine these to get the full vector of the force corresponding
to the potential energy:
17
18
𝑥𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑥𝑚𝑎𝑥
Energy Diagram for Object Influenced by Elastic Force 19

An object with a mass of 2.00 kg moves through a region of space where it experiences only a conservative force
whose potential energy function is given by:
Find the magnitude of the acceleration of the object when it reaches the position
Solution:
We know the mass of the object, so if we can determine the net force on it, we can get its acceleration from
Newton's second law. The only force on this object is the conservative force with the given potential energy
function, so that is the net force.
Newton's second law
20
Conservation of Energy
21
What is conservation of energy?
The mechanical energy of a system is the sum of its kinetic and potential energies.
If a system has only conservative forces:
https://phet.colorado.edu/si
ms/html/energy-skate-park-
basics/latest/energy-skate-
park-basics_es.html
22
Mechanical energy is conserved but can transform from one type (K or U) to another.
A pendulum is a good example
of conservation of mechanical
energy.
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/pen
dulum-lab/latest/pendulum-lab_es.html
23
An object subjected to a conservative force may have the following
potential energy curve.
24
What happens if we place an object at rest at each of the 5 points shown?
➔ x1: Falls to the right (unstable).
➔ x2: Sits in place and is restored if

displaced (stable equilibrium).
➔ x3: Sits in place and falls if

displaced (unstable equilibrium).
➔ x4: Stable equilibrium.
➔ x5: Unstable equilibrium.
25
The total energy in a system includes mechanical energy, thermal energy and
internal energy.
The total energy in an isolated system is conserved.
Internal energy can be transferred to kinetic energy, which can then be transferred
to thermal energy.
26
External Forces
27
External Forces
An external force can supply energy to a system.
28
Consider the situation shown in the figure, where a baseball player slides to a stop on level ground. Using
energy considerations, calculate the distance the 65.0 kg baseball player slides, given that his initial speed
is 6.00 m/s and the force of friction against him is a constant 450 N.
Solution
Friction stops the player by converting his kinetic

energy into other forms, including thermal energy.
The work done by friction is negative, because f is in
the opposite direction of the motion.
29
Acknowledgments
● Prof. David Starling, Penn State, Hazleton, PHYS 211, Chapter 8: Potential energy and conservation of energy,
https://www.personal.psu.edu/djs75/courses.htm#211
30

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FÍSICA I

Potential energy and conservation of energy

What is kinetic energy?

I. Conservative vs. Non-conservative Forces.

Work W is how energy is

Forces can be split into two

Forces can be split into two

The net work done by a conservative

Equivalently: The net work done by

The spring force is conservative;

Ball dropped from this point.

The gravitational force is conservative;

The change in gravitational potential energy of an object near Earth’s surface is

Note: only the change is important!

Example: If you lift an object, gravity does negative work, so

Note again: only the

Potential energy and conservative forces are related through a derivative/integral

We would get analogous results if we took our displacements in the y or z

Energy Diagram for Object Influenced by Elastic Force 19

Newton's second law

If a system has only conservative forces:

➔ x1: Falls to the right (unstable).

➔ x2: Sits in place and is restored if

➔ x3: Sits in place and falls if

➔ x4: Stable equilibrium.

➔ x5: Unstable equilibrium.

The total energy in an isolated system is conserved.

Friction stops the player by converting his kinetic

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