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1 vote
1 answer
46 views

First principle of thermodynamics with kinetic and potential energies

Edit: Sometimes the first principle is stated as $Q+W=\Delta U\;+\Delta K\;+\Delta P$ (1). I assumed that the expression comes from the more elementary principle $Q+W_{total}=\Delta U$. On the one ...
Rejalgar's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
88 views

Consolidating two ways to calculate work

I was wondering if I could get some help closing some fundamental gaps in my intuition of work, as it relates to force and distance travelled. Scenario Say we pull a 1kg box along the ground. We pull ...
Alec's user avatar
  • 163
0 votes
1 answer
235 views

How to derive bound and unbound states for an absolute value potential?

How do you find for what range of energies the absolute value potential has bound and unbound states? What I have understood from my previous Intro to Quantum lectures are that in order to derive the ...
m_1265's user avatar
  • 51
1 vote
1 answer
91 views

Kinetic and Potential Energy of a multi degree of freedom (MDOF) system

Consider the following MDOF system: $M\ddot x+Kx=F$ where $M$ and $K$ are the mass and stiffness matrix respectively, and $x$ and $F$ are the displacement and force vectors. How can one determine the ...
Mark's user avatar
  • 15
0 votes
1 answer
83 views

Kinetic energy conservation in different reference frame

Let us assume that there is a bowl fixed on a table. The radius is R. There is a small ball on the top such that it has a potential energy of $mgR$. When the ball is dropped, at its lowest point it ...
Ash's user avatar
  • 71
0 votes
5 answers
97 views

How can potential energy increase? [closed]

If work is done on a body, the energy of the body increases. If work is done by the body, energy decreases. When we take a body up to some height, some work is done by us on the body, which is stored ...
Kartikeya Sati's user avatar
-1 votes
2 answers
212 views

Why does GPE convert to kinetic energy? [closed]

What is it about GPE that makes it transfer to kinetic energy, why does it do this? What is GPE?
Event-Horizon's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
105 views

How does some matter prevent other matter from reaching a lower potential energy state?

Before answering the question, keep in mind that I am a second year Biology student, with no experience in studying Physics and I consider myself 'mathematically illiterate'. An example of matter ...
Growing6884's user avatar
1 vote
5 answers
219 views

Why is all matter in the universe, not found at its lowest state of potential energy? [closed]

Preface: it may be of interest that I am a second year Biology student, with no experience in studying Physics and a very basic understanding of Mathematics. ...
Growing6884's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
155 views

Is Energy stored Force?

I am currently studying the relationships between energy work and force. I am trying to conceptualize them into one concept of causality. When a force is applied work is done, and energy is ...
michaeloppenheimer's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
620 views

If energy is a scalar quantity, how can it be negative?

We are studying electrical potential energy in my high school class. I was originally taught that energy is a scalar identity, but the electrical field equation says that there can be negative ...
Kryptic Coconut's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
26 views

Right displacement in spring potential energy [closed]

I have a doubt in general, the above problem is an example. Here , the elastic string can be treated as a spring and we know the potential energy of a spring is $\frac{1}{2} k (x_f-x_i)^2$ So , ...
G8N2's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
1 answer
126 views

Energy conservation (Surface Energy of a liquid drop)

Suppose, there are n identical liquid drops of radius r, which combines together to form a bigger drop of radius R. If we try to calculate their surface energy then the surface energy of bigger drop ...
Shekhar Dangi's user avatar
3 votes
4 answers
755 views

Why do we say that gravity did work on an object to give it velocity, when it already had that energy as a potential?

I'm having a crisis of intuition here. Scenario A person takes a dive from a cliff. The person has a potential energy of $E_p = mgh$. As the person falls, they build kinetic energy, and lose potential ...
Alec's user avatar
  • 163
0 votes
1 answer
120 views

How to prove the bound and scattering states theorem? [duplicate]

In Griffiths it is mentioned that if the energy eigenvalue is less than the value of the potential at + and - infinity, then we have bound states. If however the energy is bigger than the potential at ...
MTYS's user avatar
  • 369

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