Energy is one of the most important and abstract concepts in physics.

In
nature, one can see its manifestation, in various forms and it can only be
measured indirectly. Mechanical energy is all-encompassing and
concerned with every system in nature. Conservation of this energy is
the principle which can be used to predict the behavior of any system in
nature, if we know the initial conditions.

Mechanical energy is the sum total of the potential and kinetic

energies, associated with any system. Potential energy is the dormant
energy stored inside any physical system due to the nature of its
configuration and the presence of a force. It depends on the position of
various parts in a system and intrinsic properties of matter like charge
and mass.

On the other hand, kinetic energy is the energy possessed by any

physical object or system due to its motion. It is the activated form of
potential energy of a system.

The sum total of potential and kinetic energies of a system, is the net
mechanical energy of the system. It is incorrect to say that this energy is
something just connected with machines. It is the totality of all forms of
energy associated with a system. The system may be anything, ranging
from a ball tossed in air, to a molecule of water, or just an atomic
nucleus. It is measured in the SI unit of 'Joule'.
In physical sciences, mechanical energy is the sum of potential energy
and kinetic energy. It is the energy associated with the motion and
position of an object. The principle of conservation of mechanical
energy states that in an isolated system that is only subject to
conservative forces, the mechanical energy is constant. If an object is
moved in the opposite direction of a conservative net force, the potential
energy will increase and if the speed (not the velocity) of the object is
changed, the kinetic energy of the object is changed as well. In all real
systems, however, non-conservative forces, like frictional forces, will be
present, but often they are of negligible values and the mechanical
energy's being constant can therefore be a useful approximation. In
elastic collisions, the mechanical energy is conserved but in inelastic
collisions, some mechanical energy is converted into heat. The
equivalence between lost mechanical energy (dissipation) and an
increase in temperature was discovered by James Prescott Joule.

Many devices are used to convert mechanical energy to or from other

forms of energy, e.g. an electric motor converts electrical energy to
mechanical energy, an electric generator converts mechanical energy
into electrical energy and a steam engine converts heat energy to
mechanical energy.
An object that possesses mechanical energy is able to do work. In fact,
mechanical energy is often defined as the ability to do work. Any object
that possesses mechanical energy - whether it is in the form of potential
energy or kinetic energy - is able to do work. That is, its mechanical
energy enables that object to apply a force to another object in order to
cause it to be displaced.

Numerous examples can be given of how an object with mechanical

energy can harness that energy in order to apply a force to cause another
object to be displaced. A classic example involves the massive wrecking
ball of a demolition machine. The wrecking ball is a massive object that
is swung backwards to a high position and allowed to swing forward
into building structure or other object in order to demolish it. Upon
hitting the structure, the wrecking ball applies a force to it in order to
cause the wall of the structure to be displaced. The diagram below
depicts the process by which the mechanical energy of a wrecking ball
can be used to do work.
As already mentioned, the mechanical energy of an object can be the
result of its motion (i.e., kinetic energy) and/or the result of its stored
energy of position (i.e., potential energy). The total amount of
mechanical energy is merely the sum of the potential energy and the
kinetic energy. This sum is simply referred to as the total mechanical
energy (abbreviated TME).

TME = PE + KE

As discussed earlier, there are two forms of potential energy discussed in

our course - gravitational potential energy and elastic potential energy.
Given this fact, the above equation can be rewritten:

TME = PEgrav + PEspring + KE

The diagram below depicts the motion of Lee Ben Fardest (esteemed
American ski jumper) as he glides down the hill and makes one of his
record-setting jumps.
 Conservation of Energy:-
The Law of Conservation of Energy: Energy cannot be created or
destroyed, but is merely changed from one form into another.

Conservation of Mechanical Energy:-

The sum total of an object’s kinetic and potential energy at any given
point in time is its total mechanical energy. The law of conservation of
energy says “Energy can neither be created nor be destroyed.”

So, it means, that, under a conservative force, the sum total of an

object’s kinetic and potential energies remains constant. Before we
dwell on this subject further, let us concentrate on the nature of a
conservative force.

Conservative Force:-
A conservative force has following characteristics:

 A conservative force is derived from a scalar quantity. For

example, the force causing displacement or reducing the rate of
displacement in a single dimension without any friction involved
in the motion.
 The work done by a conservative force depends on the end points
of the motion. For example, if W is the work done, K(f) is the
 kinetic energy of the object at final position and K(i) is the kinetic
energy of the object at the initial position:

 Work done by a conservative force in a closed path is zero. Here,

W is the work done, F is the conservative force and d is the
displacement vector. In case of a closed loop, the displacement is
zero. Hence, the work done by the conservative force F is zero
regardless of its magnitude.

Proof of Conservation of Mechanical energy:-

Let us consider the following illustration:
Here, Δx is the displacement of the object under the conservative force
F. By applying the work-energy theorem, we have: ΔK = F(x) Δx. Since
the force is conservative, the change in potential Energy can be defined
as ΔV = – F(x) Δx. Hence,

ΔK + ΔV = 0 or Δ(K + V) = 0

Therefore for every displacement of Δx, the difference between the sums
of an object’s kinetic and potential energy is zero. In other words, the
sum of an object’s kinetic and potential energies is constant under a
conservative force. Hence, the conservation of mechanical energy is
proved.

Case Study: Simple Pendulum:-

The pendulum is a very good example of conservation of mechanical
energy. Following illustration will help us understand the pendulum
motion:

 At position A, Potential energy is zero and the kinetic energy is at

maximum.
  When the object travels from position A to B, it’s kinetic energy
reduces and potential energy increases.

 At position B, the object stops momentarily. At this position, the

object’s kinetic energy becomes zero and its potential energy
reaches the maximum. The law of conservation of mechanical
energy comes into play here. The object’s entire kinetic energy at
position A has been converted to potential energy at position B.

 Now, the object retraces its path, this time from position B to
position A. Back at position A, the object’s kinetic energy has
been restored to its initial level. Object’s Potential energy is zero.

 Now, the object travels the exact same path as AB, but in reverse
direction of AC.

 This process repeats itself infinitely because the mechanical energy

of the object remains constant.

This property of mechanical energy has been harnessed by watchmakers

for centuries. Of course, in the real world, one has to account the other
forces like friction and electromagnetic fields. Hence, no mechanical
watch can run perpetually. But, if you get a precise mechanical watch
like Rolex, you can expect long power reserves!
It is the capacity of an object to do work by the virtue of its motion or
configuration (position). Mechanical Energy is the sum of following
two energy terms:

 Kinetic Energy. It is the ability of an object to do work by the

virtue of its motion. For example, the kinetic energy of Wind has
the capacity to rotate the blades of a windmill and hence produce
electricity. Kinetic energy is expressed as,where, K is the kinetic
energy of the object in joules (J), m is the mass of the object in
kilograms and v is the velocity of the object:

 Potential energy. It is the ability of an object to do work by the

virtue of its configuration or position. For example, a compressed
spring can do work when released. For the purpose of this article,
we will focus on the potential energy of an object by the virtue of
its position with respect to the earth’s gravity. Potential energy can
be expressed as:

Here, V is the potential energy of the object in joules (J), m is the mass
of the object in kilograms, g is the gravitational constant of the earth (9.8
m/s²), and h is the height of the object from earth’s surface. Now, we
know that the acceleration of an object under the influence of earth’s
gravitational force will vary according to its distance from the earth’s
centre of gravity.But, the surface heights are so minuscule when
compared to the earth’s radius, that, for all practical purposes, g is taken
to be a constant.
 Certificate
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the during the academic year
2018/2019.