Conservation

of Energy
Andrew Gross

Summary Energy can be transferred by six different methods: through work, mechanical waves, heat, matter transfer, electrical transmission, and electromagnetic radiation. For an isolated these transfers of energy are all internal, and no energy is created or destroyed, thus energy is conserved. Within the system, however, there are three distinct types of energy: kinetic energy, potential energy, and internal energy. Power is defined as the change in this energy over time for a system that is not isolated. Types of Energy In addition to the three types of energy represented by conservation of energy properties of a system, there are six methods of transferring this means of energy transfer energy. Work is the method by which mechanical force can be mechanical energy transferred to system such that it undergoes a displacement. power Mechanical waves transfer an initial disturbance, such as a gunshot, through a medium or series of mediums, (in this case, the air and someones eardrum). Heat is the transfer of energy Vocabulary driven by a temperature gradient; be careful not to confuse heat, non-isolated system the transfer of energy, with temperature, the property of energy. Matter transfer is the physical movement of energy-carrying isolated system material across the boundary of the system while electrical work transmission is the use of current that crosses the boundary of heat the system. Electromagnetic radiation uses electromagnetic watt waves such as radio waves to transfer a disturbance in energy. kilowatt-hour These six methods bring energy in and out of a non-isolated non-conservative forces system. For an isolated system, however, despite any transfers of energy between various subsystems, the change in energy is always equal to zero. This property is the basis for the First Law of Thermodynamics: energy is always conserved. Energy can neither be Electromagnetic Radiation created nor destroyed in any system.

Concepts

Equations
! ! = ! ! !"#! + ! ! = = = 1 ! 2

!"#$%&' = !"#$%& = 1 ! 2

Heat

Systems Work A non-isolated system is a system defined such that Electrical energy transfer occurs across its boundaries. Because it is possible Transmission Non-isolated System for there to be a net change in energy in a non-isolated system, it is these types of systems that are analyzed when conditions are Matter Mechanical seen to change over time. An isolated system is defined so that no Transfer Waves energy transfer occurs across its boundaries. Because no energy enters or leaves the system and because energy can neither be created nor destroyed, the net change in energy in an isolated system is always zero. Isolates systems may, however, be composed of non-isolated subsystems. Power Power is defined as the rate of change of the energy entering or exiting a non-isolated system. Power is measured in watts. The idea of a kilowatt-hour as another unit of energy and not power should be well understood.

Problem 1:
A light, rigid rod is 77.0 cm long. Its top end is pivoted on a frictionless, horizontal axle. The rod hangs straight down at rest with a small, massive ball attached to its bottom end. You strike the ball, suddenly giving it a horizontal velocity so that it swings around in a full circle. What minimum speed at the bottom is required to make the ball go over the top of the circle?

Solution 1:

77.0 cm

v = ? ! = !

! + ! = ! + ! 1 ! + 0 = 0 + 2 1 ! = 2 = 2 = 2 9.8!! 1.54 = 2 9.8!! 1.54 = 30.2 !! = 30.2! !! = 5.49

!

!!

Problem 2:
A loaded ore car has a mass of 950 kg and rolls on rails with negligible friction. It starts from rest and is pulled up a mine shaft by a cable connected to a winch. The shaft is inclined at 30.0 above the horizontal. The car accelerates uniformly to a speed of 2.20 m/s in 12.0 s and then continues at constant speed. a. What power must the winch motor provide when the car is moving at constant speed? b. What maximum power must the winch motor provide? c. What total energy has transferred out of the motor by work by the time the car moves off the end of the track, which is of length 1250 m?

Solution 2:
a. An expression for the energy of the cart over time is found. The derivative of this expression equals power. = = + = + = + sin 30 = sin 30 = 950 9.8 2.20 sin 30 = 10.2 b. The average power provided by the winch motor over the time period is found by taking the change in energy divided by time. This average can be used to calculate the final power provided during the acceleration phase, which will be the maximum power. = ! ! + !"# = ! ! ! + ! ! sin 30 ! !"# = ! !"# 950 2.20! + 2.20 12 sin 30 950 9.8 = 2 12 !"# = 5.31
2.20 m/s 950 kg

0 m/s 30.0

12.0s

! ! 2 ! = 2!"# ! = 10.6 !"# = c. Because power is the change in energy, energy equals power times time. The average power in each situation multiplied by the time over which it was provided equals the total energy given to the cart. = = !"#$%.! + !"# !""#$. !"#$%.! = 1250 = 10.2 + 5.31 12 2.20 = 5.86

Problem 3: A uniform board of length L is sliding along a smooth frictionless, horizontal plane. The board then slides across the boundary with a rough horizontal surface. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the board and the second surface is f. a. Find the acceleration of the board at the moment its front end has traveled a distance x beyond the boundary. b. The board stops at the moment its back end reaches the boundary. Find the initial speed v of the board.

Solution 3:
a. Using F=ma, the decelerating action of friction on the board can be calculated. Percent mass that is applying a normal force is proportional to the x distance divided by L. Masses cancel to reveal a simplified equation for the acceleration. Because the friction is acting in the opposite direction of the movement of the board, the acceleration is negative. = ! ! = ! ! ! = = ! b. Using the law of the conservation of energy, the change in energy can be calculated between before and after the board crosses the threshold of roughness. The original kinetic energy in the board is converted into internal energy through friction because the board is doing work on the

L v

rough surface. Initial velocity can be calculated from the kinetic energy. ! = ! ! = ! + !"#$%#&' 1 ! = 0 + !"#$%#&' 2 1 ! ! = ! ! 2 1 ! = ! 2 ! = 2! = = 2!