Practice: A radioactive particle weighing 7.20 x 103 ng is found 110 m above the earth’s surface. What is its potential energy?
Mechanical Energy is the energy associated with an object's velocity (Kinetic Energy) and its position (Potential Energy).
Kinetic Energy & Potential Energy
Concept #1: Kinetic & Potential Energy
The kinetic energy of a gas molecule is connected to its mass in kilograms and velocity in meters per second.
The potential energy of a gas molecule is connected to its mass, acceleration due to gravity and height above the ground.
Example #1: Calculate the kinetic energy (in kJ) of an electron (m = 9.11 x 10-31 kg) moving at 1.59 x 1020 m/s.
Concept #2: Energy Interconversions
Example #2: A neutron weighing 1.67 x 10-27 kg is shot from a laser projector that is mounted 120.0 meters above the ground. What is its speed when it hits the ground?