8: Potential Energy &

Conservation of Energy
IAL ENERGY (U) is the energy which can be associated
ration of a systems of objects. i.e. The position of an o
fined as the energy due to the position of the object

ample is GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY,

ted with the separation between two objects attracted
y the gravitational force. By increasing the distance b
ects (e.g. by lifting an object higher) the work done on
ional force increases the gravitational potential energ

example is ELASTIC POTENTIAL ENERGY which is

ted with compression or extension of an elastic object
ct spring). By compressing or extending such a spring
against the restoring force which in turn increases th
al energy in the spring
02/09/17 M. Ahmad 1
Determining
x
Potential
x
Energy Values
W F ( x) dx , U F ( x)dx . For GRAVIT. POT. ENERGY,
f f

xi xi
yf

mg dy mg dy mg y f
yf yf
U F ( y )dy yi
yi yi
yi

U grav mg y f yi mgy
Only CHANGES in gravitational Pot. energy are meaningful,
i.e., it is usual to define U i 0 at yi , then U y mgy
For the ELASTIC POTENTIAL ENERGY,
xf xf xf

U elas F ( x)dx kx dx k xdx k x x

1
2 x f

xi xi xi
2 i

1

U elas k x 2f xi2 . Pot energy is relative, thus we chose
2
1 2
U 0 at xi 0 Then, U x kx , x is extension/compression.
02/09/17 2 M. Ahmad 2
 Conservation of Mechanical Energy
The mechanical energy is the sum of kinetic and potential energies,
Emech K U . If the system is isolated from its environment and
no external force causes any internal energy changes,
K W & U W , K U K f K i U f U i
K f U f K i U i i.e, The sum of the kinetic and potential energies
( the mechanical energy) is the same for all states of an isolated system,
i.e. the MECHANICAL ENERGY of an ISOLATED SYSTEM where
there are only conservative forces is CONSTANT.
This is the PRINCIPLE OF CONSERVATI ON OF MECHANICAL
ENERGY (note, conservation is due to CONSERVATI VE FORCES ).
This can also be written as Emech K U 0

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 The Potential Energy
For the 1 - D case,Curve
the work done, W , by a force, F , moving an
object through a displacement, x equals, Fx , therefore, the
potential energy can be written as
U x dU x
U x W Fx F
x dx
e.g ., Hooke' s Law, if the elastic potential is given by,
1 2
U x kx then differentiating gives, F kx
2
also, in the gravitational case, U x mgh F mg
In the general, the force at position x,
can be calculated by differentiating
the potential curve with respect to x
(remembering the -ve sign). F(x) is minus
the SLOPE of U(x) as a function of x

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 Turning Points
For conservative forces, the
mechanical energy of the system K 0 at ymax , Emec mgymax
is conserved and given by,
dU ( y )
U(x) + K(x) = Emec F ( y) mg
where U(x) is the potential energy dy
and K(x) is the kinetic energy.

Therefore, K(x) = Emec-U(x). Emec K ( y ) U ( y )

1 2
Since K(x) must be positive ( K=1/2mv2), mv mgy
the max. value of x which the particle 2
has is at Emec=U(x) (i.e., when K(x)=0).
Note since F(x) = - ( dU(x)/dx ) ,
the force is negative.
Thus the particle is pushed back.
i.e., it turns around at a boundary.

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 Equilibrium
Points
Equilibrium Points: refer to points where, dU
/dx=-F(x)
Neutral Equilibrium: is when a particles total mecha
equal to its potential energy (i.e., kinetic energy eq
force acts on the particle, then dU/dx=0 (i.e. U(x) is
the particle does not move.
(For example, a marble on a flat table top.)

Unstable Equilibrium: is a point where the kinetic en

zero precisely at that point, but even a small displa
point will result in the particle being pushed further
ball at the very top of a hill.

Stable Equilibrium: is when the kinetic energy is zer

displacement results in a restoring force which push
back towards the stable equilibrium point. An exam
marble at the bottom of a bowl, or a car at the botto
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 Work Done by an External
Force
Previously we have looked at the work done to/from an ob
We can extend this to a system of more than one object.

Work is the energy transferred to or from a system by mea

external force acting on that system.
No friction (conservative forces)
W K U Emec
Including friction
From Newtons 2 nd law, F f k ma ,
the force (thus acceleration) is constant,
therefore we can use V 2 V02 2ad
V 2 V02
By subs., F m f k and
2d
1 1
Fd mv 2 mv02 f k d K f k d
2 2
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 Conservation of
This states that
Energy
The total energy of a system, E, can only change by amounts of
energy that are transferred to or from the system.

Work done can be considered as energy transfer, so we can write,

W E Emec Eth Ein

Emec is the change in mechanical energy, Eth is the change in thermal
energy (i.e., heat) and Ein is the change in internal energy of the system.
If a system is ISOLATED from it surroundings, no energy can be
transferred to or from it. Thus for an isolated system, the total energy
of the system can not change, i.e.,
E Emec Eth Ein 0

Another way of writing this is, Emec , 2 Emec ,1 Eth Ein

which means that for an isolated system, the total energies can be
related at different instants, WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE
ENERGIES AT INTERMEDIATE TIMES.
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 Example 1:
A child of mass m slides down a helter
skelter of height, h. Assuming the
slide is frictionless, what is the speed of h=10m
the child at the bottom of the slide ?

From the CONSERVATI ON OF MECHANICAL ENERGY,

Emec ,i Emec , f U i K i U f K f
1 2
U i mgh , U f 0, K i 0, K f mv
2
1 2
mgh 0 0 mv v 2 gh
2
Note that this is the same speed that the child would have
if it fell directly from a height h.
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 Example
2:
A man of mass, m, jumps from a
ledge of height, h above the ground,
attached by a bungee cord of length L
L. Assuming that the cord obeys
Hookes law and has a spring constant, h
k, what is the general solution for the
x
maximum extension, x, of the cord ?
m

By CONSERVATI ON OF MECHANICAL ENERGY,

K U 0 , if V 0 at top and bottom, K i K f 0
1 2
K 0 also, U U grav U elas mg y 0 kx
2
1 2 1 2
kx mg L x mgL mgx kx mgx mgL 0 ,
2 2
mg mg 2 2kmgL
solving this quadratic equation, x , x ve root
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