Interconversion of Kinetic Energy and Potential Energy

Interconversion of Kinetic Energy and Potential Energy

Scientists believe that the amount of certain quantities in the universe never changes. These quantities are called conserved quantities. Important and useful aspect of energy is the fact that energy is a conserved quantity and the total amount of energy always remains constant.

Consider an object of mass ‘m’ lying at a height ‘h’ from earth’s surface at point ‘F. It possesses potential energy equal to mgh and Kinetic energy equal to zero. Let the body be allowed to fall down under the action of gravity. During its downward motion, its height above the ground decreases continuously so its potential energy also decreases. As the body has been accelerating under the action of gravity, hence the work done by it is equal to its Kinetic energy. Thus when the body falls freely under gravity and when there is no opposing force there is a continuous decrease in its P.E and this decrease is equal to increase in K.E. When it reaches the surface of the earth its P.E. is zero and whole of the energy is Kinetic.

Loss in P.E at 0 = Gain in K.E. at 0.

mgh= +mv2