Conservation of Energy

THE LAW OF CONSERVATION OF ENERGY

The Law of Conservation of Energy is a fundamental principle stating that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. For a **closed system**, the total mechanical energy () remains constant if only conservative forces (like gravity or spring forces) are doing work. If non-conservative forces like friction are present, they do work on the system, transforming mechanical energy into thermal energy ().

KINETIC AND POTENTIAL ENERGY

Kinetic Energy () is the energy of motion. Potential Energy () is stored energy based on an object's position or configuration. Common forms include **Gravitational Potential Energy** () and **Elastic Potential Energy** (). The transfer between these forms is the key to solving complex mechanics problems without using kinematics.

HOW TO USE THIS VISUALIZATION

1. **Release the Object**: Drop a ball or release a spring. Watch the energy bar chart in real-time. 2. **Adjust Heights and Speeds**: Observe how the total energy line stays flat as and swap levels. 3. **Add Friction**: See how thermal energy () grows while the mechanical energy () shrinks over time.

CORE FORMULAS

AP EXAM CONNECTION

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Total energy is always conserved.
• Mechanical energy is conserved when only conservative forces do work.
• Kinetic energy depends on the square of speed.
• Work is the mechanism for transferring energy.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS