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02 Kinetic Energy

The document discusses kinetic energy and the work-energy theorem. It states that the work done on an object equals the change in its kinetic energy. Students are asked to predict how an object's kinetic energy relates to its mass and velocity. They are then tasked with deriving an expression for kinetic energy in terms of mass and velocity using the work-energy theorem and Newton's second law. Example problems apply the kinetic energy equation.

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55 views

02 Kinetic Energy

The document discusses kinetic energy and the work-energy theorem. It states that the work done on an object equals the change in its kinetic energy. Students are asked to predict how an object's kinetic energy relates to its mass and velocity. They are then tasked with deriving an expression for kinetic energy in terms of mass and velocity using the work-energy theorem and Newton's second law. Example problems apply the kinetic energy equation.

Uploaded by

jenny
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SPH3U: Kinetic Energy

Work-Energy Theorem
Recall that the work done on an object is the change in the object`s kinetic energy by a net force acting on
the object over some distance. This leads to the work-energy theorem, which can be written as:
W  Ek
Deriving an Expression for Kinetic Energy
In groups, discuss and predict how an object`s kinetic energy is affected by its mass and velocity.
Write your predictions and ideas down in the following space. Then, attempt the task below.

Task:
Create an equation which describes the kinetic energy of an object in terms of the object`s mass m and its
velocity v.

Given: object of mass m, initially at rest (i.e. v1  0 ), uniform acceleration for time t to accelerate to
some velocity v2  v
1. Start with the Work-Energy Theorem.
2. Replace work with its definition. (Remember, this is the work done on an object.)
3. Use Newton`s 2nd Law to replace Fnet.
4. Use the definition of acceleration to replace a.
5. Replace displacement with a Big Five equation which uses v1 , v2 , and t
6. Simplify, using v1  0 and v2  v

Expression for Kinetic Energy:

Check Units:
Example Problem #1
A 1200 kg Smart car has a kinetic energy of 50,000 J. What is its
velocity?

Example Problem #2
The Smart car increases its velocity from 12 m/s to 24 m/s. Calculate (a) its initial kinetic energy, (b) its
final kinetic energy, (c) the change in its kinetic energy. (d) What is the work done on the Smart car?

Example Problem #3
In example problem #2, a common error in calculating the change in kinetic energy is to calculate the
difference between the initial velocity v1 and the final velocity v2 and then insert this into the kinetic
energy equation: i.e. ½ m(v2 – v1)2. Expand this expression, write the full (and proper) expression for the
change in kinetic energy from v1 to v2, and compare the two expressions to show that they are not equal.

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