Mechanical Energy

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Potential Energy Noun

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[poh-ten-shuhl en-er-jee]

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Potential Energy

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The energy stored in an object due to its position or arrangement, representing its potential to do work.

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Example: This image shows the formula for gravitational potential energy (PE=mgh), where an object's potential energy depends on its mass (m), gravity (g), and height (h).

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Kinetic Energy Noun

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[ki-net-ik en-er-jee]

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Kinetic Energy

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The energy an object possesses due to its motion, which is dependent on its mass and velocity.

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Example: A soccer ball flying through the air has kinetic energy because it is an object in motion.

Front

Gravitational Potential Energy Noun

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[grav-i-tey-shuhn-l poh-ten-shuhl en-er-jee]

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Gravitational Potential Energy

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The energy an object has due to its position within a gravitational field, representing its potential to fall.

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Example: A roller coaster at its highest point (25 m) has maximum gravitational potential energy, which depends on its height above the ground.

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Mass Noun

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[mas]

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Mass

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A measure of the amount of matter in an object, determining its inertia and gravitational attraction to other objects.

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Example: A balance scale shows that a rock has more mass than a feather, causing the scale to tip. Mass is the amount of matter in an object.

Front

Acceleration due to gravity Noun

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[ak-sel-er-ey-shuhn doo too grav-i-tee]

Back

Acceleration due to gravity

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The constant acceleration experienced by a freely falling object near a planet's surface, caused by the force of gravity.

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Example: This image shows an apple accelerating downwards from a tree branch, pulled by the force of gravity, illustrating acceleration due to gravity.

Front

Elastic Potential Energy Noun

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[ih-las-tik poh-ten-shuhl en-er-jee]

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Elastic Potential Energy

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The energy stored in an elastic object as a result of its deformation, such as being stretched or compressed.

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Example: This diagram shows that when a spring is deformed from its resting (static) state by being compressed or stretched, it stores elastic potential energy.

Front

Hooke's Law Noun

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[hooks law]

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Hooke's Law

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A principle stating that the force exerted by a spring is directly proportional to its displacement from its equilibrium position.

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Example: This diagram shows that the distance a spring stretches (x) is directly proportional to the force (F) applied, which is the principle of Hooke's Law.

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Displacement Noun

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[dis-pleys-muhnt]

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Displacement

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The change in an object's position, measured as the straight-line distance and direction from the start point to the end point.

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Example: A car travels 8 km along a winding road (distance), but its displacement is only the 2 km straight-line path from start to finish.

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Equilibrium position Noun

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[ee-kwuh-lib-ree-uhm poh-zish-uhn]

Back

Equilibrium position

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The natural resting state of an object or system where the net force acting upon it is zero.

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Example: When two people pull a rope with equal and opposite force, the rope doesn't move, showing it is in an equilibrium position.

Front

Spring constant Noun

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[spring kon-stuhnt]

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Spring constant

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A measure of a spring's stiffness, indicating the amount of force needed to stretch or compress it by a unit of distance.

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Example: This image shows the formula for the spring constant (k), a measure of a spring's stiffness, calculated by dividing the applied force (F) by the distance (x) it stretches or compresses.