Energy Diagrams

Claimed by Julianne Oliver

The Main Idea

Energy Diagrams are extremely useful for analyzing the interactions between two different objects. These diagrams can also be confusing if not properly understood. This page serves as a resource on how to construct and interpret energy diagrams. Let's get started!

A Computational Model

Vpython is great for modeling this concept. Using vpython, we can model many different systems that have kinetic and potential energy. We can model a spacecraft orbiting the Earth, and we can create graphs to display the kinetic, potential, and kinetic+potential energies of this system. See this code for how to do this!

[Sample Vpython code:https://trinket.io/glowscript/4010e21bc3]

Examples

Be sure to show all steps in your solution and include diagrams whenever possible

Simple

Label K, U, and K+U on the energy diagrams for the following situations:

Example 1: Two electrons are held at rest some finite distance apart, and they move away from each other after they are released. Their initial velocities are zero.

Example 2: A proton and an electron start out far apart. Their initial velocities are nozero, and their energy is repulsive.

Example 3: An electron has just enough energy to escape from a hydrogen atom.

• See end for solutions.

Middling

Label K, U, and K+U on the following energy diagrams. THEN, label the following three energy graphs 1, 2, or 3 based on the following scenarios: 1: One of the components of this energy diagram is incorrect. 2: A proton and a electron are at rest, and they start out infinitely far apart. 3: A spacecraft orbits the earth.

• See end for solutions.

Difficult

creating energy graphs for different situations

Connectedness

1. How is this topic connected to something that you are interested in?
2. How is it connected to your major?
3. Is there an interesting industrial application?

History

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See also

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