Forces and potential energy

Let's begin with a brief recap:

• two approaches to solving problems: forces and energy

Next, let's digress for a moment to look at the importance of TIME in some situations. Not all changes in energy are exactly the same.

• Work and time yield power

Okay, back to the connection between work and potential energy.

You already know one connection between forces (Newtons) and energy (Joules): work is the integral of F • dx . We can turn this upside down, so to speak, to see another connection.

• A connection between gravitational force and GPE
• A connection between spring force and SPE
• Interpreting a graph of potential energy
• Not just force -- force in a particular direction
• Conservative and non-conservative forces

Below are some examples of problems in which using potential energy and the conservation of energy are very useful.

• an example of using energy to solve a problem
• Designing a rocket to go to Mars (this is a very, very simplified version of a rather complicated real-world problem, as we will see later)

Copyright © Michael Richmond. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.