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What happens to the potential energy that an object loses if it is lowered so slowly to the floor that it gains almost no kinetic energy?
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
OK. You're holding a brick, and you're lowering it very slowly and gently to the floor.
Because of gravitational forces acting on the brick, it wants to accelerate downward
at 9.8 m/s-sq, but you're not letting it fall.
In order to do that, you have to exert an upward force on the brick, and you have to
maintain that upward force on it as it settles all the way down. You're exerting a force
that points up, through a distance that points down. Your muscles do negative work,
meaning that they absorb mechanical energy. That's the potential energy that the brick
gives up on its way down.
(You almost had me there. It's a great question, and I had to think about it. That was
an uncomfortable feeling.)
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
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What happens to potential energy if speed doubles?
Potential energy decreases while kinetic energy increases as a car goes down a hill without braking.
What is the kinetic energy of an object weighing 65 kg dropped from a height of 40m?
Kinetic energy is dependent on which point you are talking about. When it is about to be dropped, kinetic energy is zero. When it reaches almost hits the ground, there is maximum kinetic energy.
True or false does potential energy depends on height is gravitational potential energy?
It is true that an object has more potential energy as it is raised higher. ?As the object falls from a height, the force of gravity will convert the potential energy into kinetic energy. ?The further it falls, the more kinetic energy will be gained. ?Conversely, the higher an object is raised, the more potential energy it has.This follows the equation? work = force x distance that force movesTherefore, the higher an object is, the greater the distance that the force of gravity will move as it accelerates the object while it falls. ?As it approaches the ground, it will have lost all potential energy but it will have kinetic energy of the same amount.Important note: ?The discussion about all potential energy being converted to kinetic energy above ignores air resistance. ?In the real world, air applies a frictional force on a body and will have the effect of slowing the object. ?Therefore, some of the potential energy will actually be turned to heat rather than ?kinetic energy. ?Most school physics questions will also ignore resistance due to air and therefore the description above works perfectly well for almost every question that will be seen.
If a stone is pushed from the top of the hill what kind of energy would it have halfway down the hill?
It would have an almost equal balance between gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy. The discrepancy comes from energy lost as heat via friction with the air and ground.
Does the sunlight hits almost straight on near the equator?
More Than "almost." the sun hits right on the equator. In fact, if you have a flagpole on the equator, there will be no shadow at noon. But the equator is not the only place where this happens. This happens Up to the tropics (tropic of cancer and tropic of Capricorn).
Can an object have both mechanical and kinetic energy?
If an object has kinetic energy, then almost BY DEFINITION it has mechanical energy. "Mechanical energy" is the sum of kinetic energy and potential energy.
What happens to potential energy if speed doubles?
Potential energy decreases while kinetic energy increases as a car goes down a hill without braking.
Where is the maximum and minimum kinetic and potential energy found as a ball drops?
A ball at rest contains only potential energy. A ball in motion contains almost all kinetic energy. But it gets tricky here. A free falling ball that has not yet reached terminal velocity has no potential energy. That energy is being given up to kinetic energy. Once the ball reaches terminal velocity in Earth's atmosphere, air resistance holds back further conversion of potential energy to kinetic.
Is light potential energy?
almost everything has chemical, potential, and kinetic energy (the exeption being forms of energy itself). light is debated to have chemical, but it does have potential and kinetic energy. kinetic energy is motion and heat caused by brishing past things. light has that quality.
What is an example of kinetic energy changing into electrical energy?
an example to that is that kinetic energy changes with the help of work while electrical energy is by power like outlets etc. (almost related to potential energy think of it like that.)
What sort of energy does a book have if it falls off a high shelf?
Before it falls it has gravitational potential energy. While it falls, the potential energy gets converted to kinetic energy. Part of this gets dissipated by friction - mainly converted to heat. Once it hits the ground, all the energy will be converted to heat.
Where is energy found and how is it recovered?
Energy is found almost everywhere. There are two types: kinetic and potential. Kinetic is in living things that move- it is in motion.Potential is having the potential to do something, like a book on a table has the potential to fall.Energy is not recovered or destroyed, it is simply transferred. For example, the heat and light energy from the sun are simply transferred into heat energy on the ground and light, and food for plants. (By the way, the light is never gone. It is simply reflected, refracted (bent at an angle), or absorbed)
What energy can Kinetic energy be converted to?
Kinetic energy can be coverted to electrical energy. This happens in power stations when turbines turn (kinetic) to generate electricity. There are other applications that transfer kinetic energy to electrical energy such as dynamos. Sometimes the kinetic energy is converted to stored energy like strain or gravitational energy. Winding something up for example, this energy can then be used to power watches, wind up toys and even wind up radios. Kinetic energy is also converted into heat and sound - rub your hands together and you'll see what I mean!
What energy conversions occur in a pole vaulter?
When the pole vaulter just passes over the bar, he/she is almost stationary, and certainly at the maximum height reached above the ground, so apart from a very small amount of kinetic energy as a result of passing over the bar, all the energy put into the vault is bound up in gravitational potential energy. During the approach, the jumper runs up so has acquired kinetic energy. Then during the vault he/she exerts force on the pole to gain height, and to convert the horizontal kinetic energy into a vertical direction. This force comes from the chemistry of the muscles of the body. So the overall conversion is from kinetic energy plus muscular chemical energy into gravitational potential energy, which is then converted back to kinetic energy on the descent.
What is the kinetic energy of an object weighing 65 kg dropped from a height of 40m?
Kinetic energy is dependent on which point you are talking about. When it is about to be dropped, kinetic energy is zero. When it reaches almost hits the ground, there is maximum kinetic energy.
Is the following sentence true or false the greater the height of an object the greater its gravitational potential energy.?
It is true that an object has more potential energy as it is raised higher. ?As the object falls from a height, the force of gravity will convert the potential energy into kinetic energy. ?The further it falls, the more kinetic energy will be gained. ?Conversely, the higher an object is raised, the more potential energy it has.This follows the equation? work = force x distance that force movesTherefore, the higher an object is, the greater the distance that the force of gravity will move as it accelerates the object while it falls. ?As it approaches the ground, it will have lost all potential energy but it will have kinetic energy of the same amount.Important note: ?The discussion about all potential energy being converted to kinetic energy above ignores air resistance. ?In the real world, air applies a frictional force on a body and will have the effect of slowing the object. ?Therefore, some of the potential energy will actually be turned to heat rather than ?kinetic energy. ?Most school physics questions will also ignore resistance due to air and therefore the description above works perfectly well for almost every question that will be seen.
What is a sentence for drawbridge?
The drawbridge is being lowered now, Sire.I almost fell off of the drawbridge.
