Potential Energy of Macroscopic Springs

Ideal Spring Claimed by Carolyn Stanek 11/8/2016

The Key Concept

Studying macroscopic springs pulls us out of the theoretical atomic realm and into the physical world of springs. The potential energy of a spring changes as the end of the coil varies in its relative distance from the location of its affixed base.

Terms and Definitions

Potential Energy - the energy stored in a body or system that results inherently from its relative position to another object

• A change in potential energy occurs when there is a change in the separation distance between the two objects.
• Gravitational potential energy relates the vertical position of an object to the surface of the Earth.

[math]\displaystyle{ \Delta U\approx \Delta mgy }[/math]

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A VPython Example

https://trinket.io/glowscript/4b759aa77a?outputOnly=true&start=result Macroscopic Spring in Action

Connectedness

1. How is this topic connected to something that you are interested in?

This is the first law of thermodynamics where every energy related goes around with this law, where energy is neither made or destroyed. It is very interesting how energy is just there and is transformed into other energies such as chemical energy that the food in the student center has will transform into kinetic energy when playing tennis after school.

1. How is it connected to your major?

As my major is Chemical Engineering, thermodynamics has many materials in common because of calculating the energy balances toward a reaction. The first law of thermodynamics To work out thermodynamic problems you will need to isolate a certain portion of the universe, the system, from the remainder of the universe, the surroundings.

1. Is there an interesting industrial application?

There was an interesting industrial application where we can calculate the energy required by the machine to pump the fluid out.

History

• William Rankinet
  • The term potential energy was introduced e, although it has links to Greek philosopher Aristotle's concept of potentiality.
  • Scottish engineer and physicist
  • links to Greek philosopher Aristotle's concept of potentiality

See also

Potential Energy Ideal Spring Spring stretch.

References

[1] [2]