PHYS1101

Mechanics
Week 4 Mechanics
Aims of this lecture:
a) Understand and calculate potential and
kinetic energy
b) Understand the concept of energy
conservation and use it in problem solving
Prof J.S. Quinton
Office: 2104, Physical Sciences
Phone: 8201-3994
Email: jamie.quinton@flinders.edu.au
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To be working or not to be working?

(in terms of Physics)

d
FP
mg cos mg sin
FN

mg
FN Ffr
FN

 Not working  Working

W=FII·d
FII: Force parallel to the displacement d
 PHYS1101

7.5.2. Some children are practicing catching baseballs. The coach tosses the ball into
the air and hits the ball with his bat. The ball travels nearly horizontally, directly
at the short stop who manages to catch the line drive. Did the coach, via the bat,
do any work on the ball as it was hit?

a) No, it travels nearly horizontally, and no work is done.

b) Yes, work was done on the ball because during the time the force acted on the
ball, the bat and ball moved through some distance.

c) No, there was a force acting on the ball, but there was no displacement while the
force was acting.

d) Yes, work was done on the ball because the force of gravity was acting on the ball
while it was being hit.

e) No work was done on the ball because the ball flew even though the force was no
longer acting on it.
 PHYS1101

7.5.2. Some children are practicing catching baseballs. The coach tosses the ball into
the air and hits the ball with his bat. The ball travels nearly horizontally, directly
at the short stop who manages to catch the line drive. Did the coach, via the bat,
do any work on the ball as it was hit?

a) No, it travels nearly horizontally, and no work is done.

b) Yes, work was done on the ball because during the time the force acted on the
ball, the bat and ball moved through some distance.

c) No, there was a force acting on the ball, but there was no displacement while the
force was acting.

d) Yes, work was done on the ball because the force of gravity was acting on the ball
while it was being hit.

e) No work was done on the ball because the ball flew even though the force was no
longer acting on it.
 PHYS1101

Work done on a variable force: a spring

 Force on a spring
• Restoring force
• Variable force, depends on x.
• “Strength” of spring is given by the
spring constant k.

FS  kx
Fp  kx
 PHYS1101

Work done on a variable force: a spring

 Force on a spring
• Restoring force
• Variable force, depends on x.
• “Strength” of spring is given by the
spring constant k.
Fp  kx

 Work is area under F vs. x curve.

 
xb

W   Fdl
xa
 
F  kx ' î; d l  dx ' î
x b x x b x

W  kx ' îdx ' î    1 2

kx ' dx ' 2
kx
x a 0 x a 0
 PHYS1101

Work done for acceleration

 Acceleartion of a car in x-direction
 
xb
W  F  dl
xa
 
F  ma î; d l  dx' î

 
xb x xb x v
dv' b
dx' v b

W   ma î dx' î   m dx'   mdv'   mv ' dv'  12 m v b2  v a2

x 0a x 0 dt
a v a
dt v a

 The net work done on an object

Wnet
1
2
2

 m v 2  v1
2
 is equal to its change in energy.
 Work-energy principle
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Potential energy
 The work done in lifting an object against the force of
gravity gives the object a potential to do work simply by
dropping the object.
y2 y2

Wext   Fext dy   mgdy

y1 y1

 mgy 2  y1   mgh
y2

 Wext  Wgrav   Fgrav dy

y1
y2

   mgdy   mgh
y1
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Potential energy
 The work done in lifting an object against the force of
gravity gives the object a potential to do work simply by
dropping the object.
y2 y2

Wext   Fext dy   mgdy

y1 y1

 mgy 2  y1   mgh

 This potential to do work is the

gravitational potential energy.

U  U2  U1  Wext
 mgy 2  y1   mgh
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Conservation of Mechanical Energy

The sum of
kinetic and
potential energy
is constant
– in the absence
of friction

K   Wi
i
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Example: elevator & cable

– cable attached
W  W
i
i cable  Wgrav  0

K  0

– cable detached

W  W
i
i grav 0

K  0
 PHYS1101

7.6.4. Consider the box in the drawing. We can slide the box up the frictionless incline from
point A and to point C or we can slide it along the frictionless horizontal surface from
point A to point B and then lift it to point C. How does the work done on the box along
path A-C,WAC, compare to the work done on the box along the two step path A-B-C,
WABC?

a) WABC is much greater than WAC.

b) WABC is slightly greater than WAC.

c) WABC is much less than WAC.

d) WABC is slight less than WAC.

e) The work done in both cases is the same.

 PHYS1101

7.6.4. Consider the box in the drawing. We can slide the box up the frictionless incline from
point A and to point C or we can slide it along the frictionless horizontal surface from
point A to point B and then lift it to point C. How does the work done on the box along
path A-C,WAC, compare to the work done on the box along the two step path A-B-C,
WABC?

a) WABC is much greater than WAC.

b) WABC is slightly greater than WAC.

c) WABC is much less than WAC.

d) WABC is slight less than WAC.

e) The work done in both cases is the same.

 PHYS1101

A conservative system and a non-

conservative system
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A conservative system and a non-

conservative system

 Two paths from pt. 1 to pt. 2. and a loop.

 Friction is very definitely not a conservative force.
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Energy concept
 All that counts is the initial and the final situation

y2 y2

Wext   Fext dy   mgdy

y1 y1

 mgy 2  y1   mgh
y2

 Wext  Wgrav   Fgrav dy

y1
y2

   mgdy   mgh
y1
 PHYS1101

Energy concept
 All that counts is the initial and the final situation
 
xb
W  F  dl
xa
 
F  ma î; d l  dx' î

 
xb x xb x v
dv' b
dx' v b

W   ma î dx' î   m dx'   mdv'   mv ' dv'  12 m v b2  v a2

x 0a x 0 dt
a v a
dt v a

 The net work done on an object

Wnet
1
2
2

 m v 2  v1
2
 is equal to its change in energy.
 Work-energy principle
 PHYS1101

Energy concept
 All that counts is the initial and the final situation

 
xb
W   kx' î dx' î  12 k x b  x a
2 2

xa

if
xa  0
xb  x
W  12 kx 2
 PHYS1101

8.5.7. Two identical balls are thrown from the same height from the roof of a
building. One ball is thrown upward with an initial speed v. The second ball is
thrown downward with the same initial speed v. When the balls reach the
ground, how do the kinetic energies of the two balls compare? Ignore any air
resistance effects.

a) The kinetic energies of the two balls will be the same.

b) The first ball will have twice the kinetic energy as the second ball.

c) The first ball will have one half the kinetic energy as the second ball.

d) The first ball will have four times the kinetic energy as the second ball.

e) The first ball will have three times the kinetic energy as the second ball.
 PHYS1101

8.5.7. Two identical balls are thrown from the same height from the roof of a
building. One ball is thrown upward with an initial speed v. The second ball is
thrown downward with the same initial speed v. When the balls reach the
ground, how do the kinetic energies of the two balls compare? Ignore any air
resistance effects.

a) The kinetic energies of the two balls will be the same.

b) The first ball will have twice the kinetic energy as the second ball.

c) The first ball will have one half the kinetic energy as the second ball.

d) The first ball will have four times the kinetic energy as the second ball.

e) The first ball will have three times the kinetic energy as the second ball.