Physics12153

gravitational potential energy

Gravitational potential energy is energy an object possesses because of its position in a gravitational field. The most common use of gravitational potential energy is for an object near the surface of the Earth where the gravitational acceleration can be assumed to be constant at about 9.8 m/s2.

hooke's law

Hooke's law is a principle of physics that states that the force F needed to extend or compress a spring by some distance X is proportional to that distance.

spring constant

spring-constant. Noun. (plural spring constants) (physics) A characteristic of a spring which is defined as the ratio of the force affecting the spring to the displacement caused by it.

potential energy

the energy possessed by a body by virtue of its position relative to others, stresses within itself, electric charge, and other factors.

elastic collison

A perfectly elastic collision is defined as one in which there is no loss of kinetic energy in the collision.

law of conservation of momentum

A conservation law stating that the total linear momentum of a closed system remains constant through time, regardless of other possible changes within the system.

Impulse-momentum theorem

According to the impulse momentum theorem, the change in the momentum of a body is equal to the impulse acting on the body. Impulse and momentum are both vector quantity, meaning that both possess magnitude and direction. So, depending on the direction of impulse, the change in momentum of a body can be either positive or negative. If the net force acting on the body acts in the direction in which the body is moving, the velocity of the body increases, thus increasing its momentum. If the net force acts in the opposite direction of the body, the change in momentum is negative, and the velocity of the body decreases as well.

inelastic collision

An inelastic collision is one in which part of the kinetic energy is changed to some other form of energy in the collision

elastic potential energy

Elastic potential energy is Potential energy stored as a result of deformation of an elastic object, such as the stretching of a spring. It is equal to the work done to stretch the spring, which depends upon the spring constant k as well as the distance stretched.

energy

Energy, in physics, the capacity for doing work. It may exist in potential, kinetic, thermal, electrical, chemical, nuclear, or other various forms. There are, moreover, heat and work—i.e., energy in the process of transfer from one body to another

impulse

Impulse is the change of momentum of an object when the object is acted upon by a force for an interval of time. So, with impulse, you can calculate the change in momentum, or you can use impulse to calculate the average impact force of a collision.

kinetic energy

In physics, the kinetic energy of an object is the energy that it possesses due to its motion. It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains this kinetic energy unless its speed changes

law of conservation of energy

In physics, the law of conservation of energy states that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant—it is said to be conserved over time. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; rather, it transforms from one form to another.

joule

One joule is equal to the energy used to accelerate a body with a mass of one kilogram using one newton of force over a distance of one meter. One joule is also equivalent to one watt-second. Joule, James Prescott 1818-1889. British physicist who demonstrated that heat is a form of energy.

mechanical energy

The energy acquired by the objects upon which work is done is known as mechanical energy. Mechanical energy is the energy that is possessed by an object due to its motion or due to its position. Mechanical energy can be either kinetic energy (energy of motion) or potential energy (stored energy of position).

explosion

Whether it is a collision or an explosion, if it occurs in an isolated system, then each object involved encounters the same impulse to cause the same momentum change. The impulse and momentum change on each object are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. Thus, the total system momentum is conserved.

momentum

the quantity of motion of a moving body, measured as a product of its mass and velocity.