Questions tagged [potential-energy]
Potential energy is the energy of a body or a system due to the position of the body or the arrangement of the particles of the system.
2,652
questions
2
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Electrostatic Potential Energy
I have read many books on Mechanics and Electrodynamics and the one thing that has confused me about electrostatic potential energy is its derivation .One of the classical derivations is :
$$\...
- 3,284
4
votes
3
answers
7k
views
Still trying to understand gravitational potential and Poisson's equation?
A week or so back I asked a question about the gravitational potential field
$$\phi=\frac{-Gm}{r}, \qquad r\neq 0, $$
and how to show the Laplacian of $\phi$ equals zero for $r\neq 0$? Eventually, (...
CommunityBot
- 1
3
votes
3
answers
889
views
About constructing potential energy functions
There are many classical systems with different potential functions. My problem is that I do not understand how one can construct a certain potential function for a certain system. Are there any ...
- 206k
2
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Why no basis vector in Newtonian gravitational vector field?
In my textbook, the gravitational field is given by$$\mathbf{g}\left(\mathbf{r}\right)=-G\frac{M}{\left|\mathbf{r}\right|^{2}}e_{r}$$
which is a vector field. On the same page, it is also given as a ...
- 3,105
4
votes
3
answers
1k
views
storing energy (as mass)
When chemical energy is released mass is reduced, if only by a negligible amount. Presumably that's true for all energy. And presumably that works in reverse as well: storing energy involves an ...
CommunityBot
- 1
2
votes
2
answers
254
views
Differences In Potential Equations
Could someone please describe the differences between the uses each of these potential equations:
Potential due to a point charge:
$V = \frac{k \cdot q}{r} - \frac{k \cdot q}{{r}_{\text{ref}}}$
...
CommunityBot
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
115
views
Terminology question about energy
I'm looking for the appropriate term to use for what gets "used up" as potential energy is converted to heat and work. For example, some of the the energy in solar radiation is converted by ...
- 19k
2
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Potential energy in a gravitational field
I've seen the following formula for the potential energy of a body in a gravitational field ($\rho$ is the density, $g$ is the gravitational acceleration):
$$ \rho g \int_E z dV $$
Can you please ...
CommunityBot
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
284
views
Violation of conservation of energy and potential energy between objects
I would like to clarify my question. I have numbered them to be independent questions
For any conservative fields, $\vec{F} = -\nabla U$. Which means the restoring force is opposite to the increasing ...
1
vote
3
answers
277
views
What is the physical reason a $+5V$ equipotential coutour cannot intersect a $-5V$ equipotential coutour?
Now I've been told that equipotential contours with different values can never intersect. That is, if one level is 5V and one is -5V, they can't intersect. This make sense to me mathematically (one ...
CommunityBot
- 1
2
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Does the potential energy of fluid rising on a string change?
Lets say I have a glass of water at rest. Then I go and hang a string above the water (vertically), such as the end of the string is immersed in the water. Over time some of the water is going to ...
4
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Is there really no meaning in potential energy and potential?
I have been told all my physics life that potential energy between two mass/charge has no meaning and only their difference has meaning. The same goes for electric potential, only the difference ...
- 76.7k