Potential Energy, Kinetic Energy and Collisions

#energy #collisions #ngscience
Discover ways in which potential energy can be converted into kinetic energy and the result of collisions.

Energy is the ability to do work, or make things change. Energy is what makes things happen - it's the power that makes things move, light up, or get hot! It's like magic, but it's science!

Energy conversion occurs, when energy changes from one form to another. Like when you switch on an electric heater whereby electrical energy is converted into heat and light.

Today I want to focus on a particular type of energy conversion, the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy.

Take the girl on the box car on top of the hill. She has potential energy due to her position height above the ground. As she rolls down the hill, the potential energy decreases as it is converted into kinetic energy. And as she climbs the second hill and slows down, the kinetic energy in converted back into potential energy.

Let's look at another example. When a rock is placed in a slingshot and the rubber band is pulled back, the rock gains elastic potential energy. When the sling shot is released, the potential energy is rapidly converted into kinetic energy. Some of the kinetic energy is then transformed to the jar when the rock and jar collide. During the collision, contact forces causes the jar to deform and break apart. The magnitude of the forces during a collision, great affect the impact of the collision, but we'll look into this in the next video.

What is potential energy?
Potential energy is a type of energy that is stored within an object or system, based on its position, state, or configuration. It is the energy that an object possesses due to its position in a gravitational, electric, or magnetic field, or due to its deformation, shape, or chemical composition.

For example, a stretched rubber band has potential energy because it has the ability to do work when released. The potential energy in this case is stored as elastic potential energy, which is a type of potential energy that is stored in objects that are stretched or compressed. Similarly, a ball at the top of a hill has gravitational potential energy because of its position relative to the Earth's surface.

The amount of potential energy an object has depends on its position or state, as well as the external forces acting on it. When the object undergoes a change in position or state, the potential energy may be converted into kinetic energy, which is the energy of motion. This conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy is what allows objects to do work or cause changes in their environment.

What is kinetic energy?
Kinetic energy is a type of energy that an object possesses due to its motion. It is defined as the energy that an object has when it is in motion and can be expressed by the equation KE = 1/2mv^2, where KE is kinetic energy, m is the mass of the object, and v is its velocity or speed.

When an object is in motion, it has the ability to do work by transferring energy to other objects. For example, a moving ball can transfer its kinetic energy to another object by colliding with it, causing it to move. Similarly, a moving car can transfer its kinetic energy to its brakes to slow down or stop.

The amount of kinetic energy an object has depends on its mass and velocity. The greater the mass and velocity of an object, the more kinetic energy it has. For example, a heavy truck moving at high speed has more kinetic energy than a small car moving at the same speed.

When an object undergoes a change in its motion, its kinetic energy may be converted into other forms of energy, such as potential energy or heat. This conversion of energy is subject to the law of conservation of energy, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or converted from one form to another.