Mechanicsenergy

Mechanicsenergy, often referred to as mechanical energy, is the sum of potential energy and kinetic energy in an object or system. Potential energy is the energy stored within an object due to its position or state, such as gravitational potential energy from height or elastic potential energy from a stretched spring. Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion. The principle of conservation of mechanical energy states that in an isolated system where only conservative forces are doing work, the total mechanical energy remains constant. This means that mechanical energy can be converted from one form to another, such as from potential to kinetic energy as an object falls, but the total amount stays the same if no energy is lost to non-conservative forces like friction or air resistance. For example, a pendulum swinging back and forth demonstrates this principle. At the highest point of its swing, its mechanical energy is primarily potential energy. As it swings down, this potential energy is converted into kinetic energy, reaching maximum kinetic energy at the bottom of the swing. The reverse conversion occurs as it swings back up. Non-conservative forces can dissipate mechanical energy from a system, often as heat or sound, leading to a decrease in the total mechanical energy over time.