Monday of Week 9

This week: Finish Chapt 7, begin Chapt 8.

Quiz 3: Group on Thursday, Individual on Friday. Through Chapt 7.
Quiz Reviews:
Wednesday, March 23, 3:00 - 5:00, Akerman Hall 209 (Aaron & Chelley)
Thursday, March 24, 6:00 - 8:00, Phys 133 (Michael & Anthony) Tate 133

Work -- Kinetic-Energy Conservation of Mechanical Energy:

Theorem
K f + U f = K i + Ui
K f ! K i = -mgy f + mgyi K f + mgy f = K i + mgyi
Define mechanical
" 1 1% GMm GMm energy:
K f ! K i = GMm $ ! ' Kf ! = Ki !
# R f Ri & Rf Ri Emech = K + U
Conservation of
1 2 1
1
(
K f ! K i = ! k x 2f ! xi2
2
) Kf +
2
kx f = K i + kxi2
2 mechanical energy:
Emech, f = Emech,i
Mechanical energy is conserved in a system when the
interactions within the system are all conservative, i.e. there are !Emech = 0
no non-conservative forces acting within the system, and there
are no external forces (i.e. the system is isolated) !K + !U = 0

When do you use the Conservation of Mechanical Energy

as opposed to the Work--Kinetic-Energy theorem??

Answer: They both can be used:

For the work--K-E theorem, the “work” is done by an external force
For conservation of mechanical energy, there is no external work, but
the conservative interaction(s) is(are) between parts of the system.

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W--K-E Example: drop an object of Conservation of mechanical energy
mass m through distance h. example:
The system is the Earth plus the mass.

m Work is done on m by No work is done

the Earth’s gravitational m on the system.
force acting on m:
mg U i = mgh
mg
Ki = 0 Ki = 0
Ei = 0 + mgh
Uf = 0
h
1 2
1 Kf = mv
K f = mv 2 2
2 1
W = mgh E f = mv 2 + 0
m v 2
m v
K f ! Ki = W E f = Ei

1 2 1 2
K f ! Ki = mv = W = mgh Ef = mv = Ei = mgh
2 2
v = 2gh v = 2gh

Example: The bowling ball demo

To what height does the bowling ball rise on the when it returns to the nose?

The system is the bowling ball plus the Earth.

v=0 v=0
m

h1 h

UIUC v

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 Conservation of mechanical energy

Work--Kinetic-Energy theorem for a system:

1
Wtotal = ! " mi vi2 =! " K i = " !K i
2
Wtotal = !K sys

This includes all forces, whether external or internal,

conservative or non-conservative:

Wtotal = Wext + Wint

Wint = Wc + Wnc
Wc = conservative internal work (e.g., springs, gravitational forces)
Wnc = total internal non-conservative work (e.g., internal friction)

Recap: Wtotal = !K sys and Wtotal = Wext + Wint = Wext + Wc + Wnc

! "K sys = Wext + Wc + Wnc

Wc = total conservative internal work (e.g., springs, gravitational)
Wnc = total internal non-conservative work (e.g., internal friction)

In terms of the system’s potential energy change: Wc = !"U sys = !" #U

! "K sys = Wext # "U sys + Wnc

! "K sys + "U sys = Wext + Wnc

! "(K sys + U sys ) # Wnc = Wext

! "Emech # Wnc = Wext THE WORK-ENERGY THEOREM

Thus THE MECHANICAL ENERGY OF A SYSTEM IS CONSERVED IF the total work

done by all external forces and by all non-conservative internal forces is zero:
Emech = K sys + U sys = constant

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 Is a system isolated?

• A glider of mass M is initially at rest on a horizontal frictionless track.

A mass m is attached to it with a massless string hung over a
massless pulley as shown. What is the speed v of M after m has
fallen a distance d ?

(1) v = gd (2) v = gd(m / M ) (3) v = 2mgd / (m + M )

(4) v = gd / (m + M ) (5) none of these

d v

UIUC

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(1) v = gd (2) v = gd(m / M ) (3) v = 2mgd / (m + M )
(4) v = gd / (m + M ) (5) none of these

• Kinetic+potential energy is conserved since all forces are

conservative and there is no work done by external forces.
• Choose initial configuration to have U=0.
ΔK + ΔU=0 ==>
1 1
mv 2 + Mv 2 ! mgd = 0
2 2
v 2 = 2mgd / (m + M )
v
M

d
UIUC

• A glider of mass M is initially at rest on a horizontal track with

coefficient of kinetic friction µk. A mass m is attached to it with a
massless string hung over a massless pulley as shown. What is the
speed v of M after m has fallen a distance d ?
• Kinetic+potential energy is NOT conserved because friction is
not a conservative force.
• Again choose initial configuration to have U=0.
1 2 1
mv + Mv 2 ! mgd = ! µ k Mgd
!K + !U = W 2 2
W = " µ k Nd = " µ k Mgd 2(m ! µ k M )gd
v2 =
m+M
2(m ! µ k M )gd
v=
m+M

d v

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