Energy

Work
Forms of Energy
Conservation of Energy
Sources of Energy
Power
Efficiency
 Work-W
• Work is said to done, whenever a force under
goes a displacement.
• Work is the product of force and
displacement.
• Work = Force x displacement
• W= F x s
• S.I unit is Joule (J) 1J = 1Nm
• Work is an energy conversion process, i.e
whenever work is done on a body energy is
converted from one form to another.
 Work- W

• For work to be done, force and

displacement must be parallel or
antiparallel, i.e in the same or opposite
direction in a straight line.
 Worked Examples
A 50 N horizontal force is applied to a 15 kg crate of granola bars over
a distance of 10 m. The amount of work this force does is
W = F x s = 50 N x 10 m = 500 N m = 50 J
The SI unit of work is the Newton · meter. There is a shortcut for
this unit called the Joule, J. 1 Joule = 1 Newton · meter, so we can say
that the this applied force did 500 J of work on the crate.

The work this applied force does is independent of the presence of any
other forces, such as friction. It’s also independent of the mass.

Tofu Almond 50 N
Crunch
10 m
 Worked Examples

• 2.You lift a 2kg block on to the top of a pile

3m high. How much work has been done?
g=10N/kg.?
• F= W= mg = 2kg x 10N/kg= 20N
• W = F x s = 20N x 3m = 60Nm= 60J
 Problems
1. A 30N force is applied horizontally, causing a
block to be displaced horizontally 5m along a
frictionless floor. How much work is done?
2. An object of weight 40N is pulled up at
constant speed a vertical distance of 10m. How
much work is done?
 When the force is at an angle
When a force acts in a direction that is not in line with the
displacement, only part of the force does work. The component of F
that is parallel to the displacement does work, but the perpendicular
component of F does zero work. So, a more general formula for
work is
W = F x cosθ
F sinθ F This formula assumes
that F is constant.

θ F cosθ
Tofu Almond
Crunch
x
 Forms of Energy
Energy is the ability to do work. The S.I init is Joules.
When work is done on an object the amount of energy the object has
as well as the types of energy it possesses could change. Here are
some types of energy you should know:

• Kinetic energy
• Electrical energy
• Gravitational Potential Energy
•Magnetic Energy
• Elastic Potential Energy
• Light
• Chemical Potential Energy
• Sound
•Electromagnetic Energy (X- rays,
• Thermal energy
microwaves and other
electromagnetic (e.m) waves) •Mass itself
 Kinetic Energy
Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. The kinetic energy
of a body is given by:
2
K:E = ½ m v
The equation shows that . . .
• the more mass a body has
• or the faster it’s moving
. . . the more kinetic energy it’s got.

K:E is proportional to v 2, so doubling the speed quadruples

kinetic energy, and tripling the speed makes it nine times greater.
 Change in Kinetic Energy-ΔEk

• Technically what is calculated or

determined is the change in Kinetic Energy
and not just Kinetic Energy.
• When an unbalance force acts on a body it
will experience a change in velocity, so:
•
 Energy Units
The formula for kinetic energy, K = ½ m v 2, shows that its units are:
kg · (m/s)2 = kg · m 2 / s 2 = (kg · m / s 2 ) m = N · m = J

So the SI unit for kinetic energy is the Joule, just as it is for work.
The Joule is the SI unit for all types of energy.
One common non-SI unit for energy is the calorie. 1 cal = 4.186 J.
A calorie is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of
1 gram of water 1 °C.
A food calorie is really a kilocalorie. 1 Cal = 1000 cal = 4186 J.
Another common energy unit is the British thermal unit, BTU, which
the energy needed to raise a pound of water 1 °F. 1 BTU = 1055 J.
 Kinetic Energy Worked Examples

1. A 55 kg toy sailboat is
cruising at 3 m/s. What is its
kinetic energy?
This is a simple plug and chug
problem: K:E = ½ m v 2
K:E = 0.5 (55) (3) 2 = 247.5 J

Note: Kinetic energy (along with

every other type of energy) is a
scalar, not a vector!
• 2. Determine the velocity for a body of mass
30kg and possesses 500J of Kinetic Energy.

• Start with
• transpose for v and substitute gives
•
 Kinetic Energy Problems

• 1) An object of mass 6kg has a speed of 5m/s.

• a) What is its kinetic energy?
• b) What is it kinetic if its speed is doubled?

• 2) A ball of mass 0.5kg has 100J of kinetic

energy. What is speed of the ball?

• 3) Calculate the mass of a body with kinetic

energy 100J and velocity 5m/s.
 Potential Energy-P.E or Ep
• Potential energy is the energy an object has by
virtue of its position or condition.
• It is stored Energy.
• Examples are:
• Chemical Potential Energy
• Gravitational Potential Energy
• Elastic Potential Energy
• Nuclear Potential Energy
 Gravitational Potential Energy
Possess by objects situated at a certain height above the surface of the
earth. If allowed to fall, the energy of such an object can be converted
into other forms like kinetic energy, heat, and sound. Gravitational
potential energy is given by:

GPE = m g h
The equation shows that . . .

• the more mass a body has

• or the stronger the gravitational field it’s in
• or the higher up it is
. . . the more gravitational potential energy it’s got.
 SI Potential Energy Units

From the equation GPE = m g h the units of

gravitational potential energy must be:

kg · (m/s2) · m = (kg · m/s2) · m = N · m = J

This shows the SI unit for potential energy is the Joule, as it is for
work and all other types of energy.
 Change in GPE
• Technically what is calculated or
determined is the change in Gravitational
Potential Energy and not just Gravitational
Potential Energy.
• ΔGPE= mgΔh =mg(h2-h1)
 Reference point for Gravitational is
arbitrary
Gravitational potential energy depends on an object’s height, but
how is the height measured? It could be measured from the floor,
from ground level, from sea level, etc. It doesn’t matter what we
choose as a reference point (the place where the potential energy is
zero) so long as we are consistent.

continued on next slide

 Potential Energy Worked Example

• 1)What is the gain in gravitational energy of an

object of mass 50 kg which is lifted to a vertical
height of 40m?

• GPE= mgh= 50kg x 10N/kg x 40m = 20000J

 Potential Energy Problem

• 1)An object has a mass of 6kg. What is its

gravitational potential energy
• a) 4m above the ground
• b) 6m above the ground
Energy Conversion (Transformation)
The Simple Pendulum
 The Law of Conservation of Energy
One of the most important principles in all of science is conservation
of energy. It is also known as the first law of thermodynamics. It
states that energy can change forms, but it cannot be created or
destroyed. This means during energy transformations the total
energy of a system remain the same. before
For example, suppose a mass is dropped from some m
height. The gravitational potential energy it had
originally is not destroyed. Rather it is converted into
kinetic energy and heat. (The heat is generated due to
friction with the air.) The initial total energy is given heat
by E0 = EP = mgh. The final total energy is given by
Ef = Ek + heat = ½ mv 2 + heat. Conservation of
after
energy demands that E0 = Ef .
2
m
Therefore, m g h = ½ m v + heat.
v
• If we assume that air resistance is negligible
then:
• m g h = ½ m v2
• That is (i.e.) E p=EK
 Conservation of Energy Worked
Examples
1). A 185 kg orangutan drops from a 7 m high branch in a rainforest
in Indonesia. How fast is he moving when he hits the ground?

Using the law of conservation of

Energy
GPE = Ek
mgh = ½ mv 2
2
2gh=v
-1
v=√2gh =√2 x 9.8 x 7 =11.7ms
Note: the mass didn’t matter . Also, we ignored air resistance
meaning no heat is generated, so E p=EK
• Using the Law of Conservation of Energy
• GPE = Ek
•
 Problems
• 1) 50J of work must be done to lift a vase from
the ground up to a shelf.
• a) How much potential energy does the vase
have when it is on the shelf?
• b) If the vase falls from the shelf, how much
kinetic energy does it have just before it hits the
ground?(Assume that air resistsnce is negligible
and g= 10Nkg-1).
• c) What happen to this energy after the vase has
hit the ground?
• 2) A ball has a mass of 0.5kg. Dropped from a
cliff top, the ball hits the sea below at a speed of
10m/s. Assume that g= 10Nkg-1 and air resistance
is negligible.
• a) What is the kinetic energy of the ball as it is
about to hit the sea?
• b) What was the gravitational potential energy
before it was dropped ?
• c) From what height was the ball dropped?
• d) Calculate a,b & c if the mass of the ball is 1kg?
Solar Panel (Photo-voltaic Cell)
Solar Water Heater
Biogas
 Power
Power is defined as the rate at which work is done. It is also
define as the rate at which energy is converted.
Mathematically, power is given by:

• The S.I unit is watt(W)

• 1W=1Js-1
• P= F x v
 Worked Examples
• 1) If a machine does 1500J of work in 3
seconds, what is its useful power output?

• 2) Calculate the work done in one hour by an

electric motor in a washing machine which has
an power rated at 1.5kW?
• P= 1.5kW= 1.5 x 103W= 1500W= 1500Js-1
• t= 1hr= (1 x 60x 60)s= 3600s
• E= P x t = 1500Js-1 x 3600s= 5400000J
 Problems

• 1) A crane lift a 600kg mass through vertical

height of 12m in 18 seconds. What is the
crane’s useful power output?
 Personal Power - Procedure
• Get a person to time how long it takes you
to run up a flight of steps.
• Measure the height of one step and count
the number of steps you climbed. You also
need to know your own weight.
 Sample Result

• Mass of girl = 44kg

• Time to climb the steps= 11s
• Height of a step= 20cm
• Number of steps climbed= 60
 Calculation

• Vertical height climbed= 60 x 0.2m= 12m

• F=W=mg=44kg x 10N/kg= 440N
• W done = Fs= 440N x 12m= 5280Nm= 5280J
• P of girl=W/t= 5280J/11s= 480J/s= 480W
 Light bulbs, Engines, & Power bills
• Light bulbs are rated by their power output. A 75 W
incandescent bulb emits 75 J of energy each second. Much of
this is heat. Fluorescent bulbs are much more efficient and
produce the same amount of light at a much lower wattage.
• The power of an engine is typically measured in horsepower, a
unit established by James Watt and based on the average
power of a horse hauling coal. 1 hp = 33 000 foot pounds per
minute = 746 W. Note that in the English units we still have
force times distance divided by time. A machine that applies
33 000 pounds of force over a distance of one foot over a time
period of one minute is operating at 1 hp.
• Electric companies charge customers based on how many
kilowatt hours of energy used. It’s a unit of energy since it is
power × time. 1 kW·h is the energy used by a 1000 W machine
operating for one hour. How many Joules is it?
3.6 MJ
 Waste Heat
The thermal energy that is converted from other forms due to
friction, air resistance, drag, etc. is often referred to as “waste heat”
because it represents energy “robbed from the system.” In real life
some of the potential energy the orangutan had would have been
converted to waste heat, as it fell towards the ground, making his
fur and the surrounding air a tad bit hotter. This means that it has
less kinetic energy upon impact than the potential energy it had up
in the tree. Air resistance robbed him of energy, but all the energy
is still account for.
What happens to all his energy after he drops and is just standing
still on the ground? (Now he has no kinetic or potential energy.)
answer:
It all ends up as waste heat. A small amount of energy is
carried off as sound, but that eventually ends up as waste
heat as well.
 Efficiency
Efficiency is a ratio comparing useful energy output and
energy input, or useful work output and work input.
Energy input= useful energy output +waste energy

.
 Efficiency Worked Example
• 1. An electric motor has an efficiency of 20%. It
draws 300J of electrical energy from the mains.
How much useful work does the it do ? Suggest
what happens to the energy that ‘goes missing’.
• Since the motor has an efficiency of 20% it
means that 20% of the input energy is use to do
useful work
• Useful work= 20% of 300J= 60J
• Missing energy is given off as waste energy in
the form of heat and sound due to frictional
forces.
 Efficiency Worked Example
• 2. A machine has an effort of 25N applied to it.
When the effort moves 8.0m, the load is raised
2.0m.
• A) How much energy has been supplied to the
machine?
• B) If under these conditions the machine has an
efficiency of 60%, How many joules of that
energy go into raising the load?
• C) Since the load is raise 2.0m, how large must
the output force be?
• D) Suggest what has probably happened to the
other 40% of the energy.

• Solution:
• A) E supplied = W done by effort = F x s= 25N
x 8.0m = 200J
• B) Since the efficiency of machine is 60% it
means 60% of input energy is use to do useful
work
• Useful work = 60% of 200J= 120J
• C) Useful W= F x s hence

• D) The other 40% is given off as waste energy,

in the form of heat and sound, due to friction.
 Efficiency Problems

• 1. A car runs on gasoline.

• A) State the energy changes which occur
when the car starts moving.
• B) The engine has an efficiency of 30%.
Explain what this means.
• C) The total amount of energy available from
1litre(1L) of gasoline is 40MJ.What does
‘MJ’ stands for ?
• D) How much useful energy does the car receive
from 1litre of fuel?
• E) The car travels along a level road at a
constant speed, and experience an average drag
force of 800N. How far will it go on 1litre of
gas?