POTENTIAL ENERGY - APPLICATIONS and EXAMPLES

We all need energy in our daily life for our daily works and we get it by many sources in many forms. For example: Humans get energy in by eating food in form of carbohydrate, Fuels in machines also works as the source of energy, as well as plants also take energy by sunlight , we all have candles in our house (some use it for decoration while other use it for light) : the candle is a best example of conservation of energy also the flame of candle is made up of quantum particles called phonon. According to theory of relativity mass is also a form of energy. Mass can converts into energy and energy can also converts into mass.

  
Energy is the capacity of any body to do work . If any body has energy then it is capable of doing work.

Energy is of many types like ELECTRICAL, MECHANICAL, GRAVITATIONAL etc.

Mechanical energy is of two types :-

1. POTENTIAL ENERGY
2. KINETIC ENERGY

1. POTENTIAL ENERGY

Potential energy is like the potential of any body. A body is made up of a number of particles,these particles have attraction forces between them,by virtue of this they are collected as a body.
These forces made a unique orientation of the body and this orientation form potential energy of that body.
Potential energy is also result of the position of body w.r.t. any definite point.This depends on the frame of reference by which the observer see the object. Eg. Gravitational potential energy is depend on the height of the object.So the observing point's orientation is important. The higher the object, higher gravitational potential energy it has.
In another words Potential Energy is like the stored energy in a body, like the fuel store in a cell.
In mathematical formula gravitational potential energy can write as

U = mgh

where,

m : mass of object

g : gravitational acceleration 

h : height of the object

• As the object is speeding up, the potential energy decreases.Or we can say that a steady object has the higher amount of potential energy and when it start to moving its potential energy converts to kinetic energy.
• Potential Energy also depends on the mass of the object. 
• Second type of potential energy is Elastic Potential Energy. Every stretchable object has this type  of potential energy.
• The more the object is stretchable, the higher the amount of potential energy.
• The term Potential Energy was first used by a Scottish Engineer and Physicist named  WILLIAM RANKINE   during 19th century.

  

  WILLIAM RANKINE

• Energy stored in a fossil fuel is called Chemical Potential Energy.
• There are many other types of potential energy like : POTENTIAL KINETIC ENERGY, POTENTIAL RADIANT ENERGY, POTENTIAL THERMAL ENERGY, POTENTIAL SOUND ENERGY, POTENTIAL ENERGY IN HUMAN BODIES.

APPLICATIONS OF POTENTIAL ENERGY:-

1.  When a bow and arrow is used , the potential energy from the archer's hand is transfer to the bow when it is being pull back.(POTENTIAL KINETIC ENERGY)
2. When a spring is stretched , some amount of potential energy is added to the spring and this potential energy helps the spring to get back in its initial state.(ELASTIC POTENTIAL ENERGY)
3. When a weight is raised to a height some amount of gravitational potential energy adds in the object and helps the weight to tumble. (GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY )
   
4. The fuel stored in any satellite is the Chemical Potential Energy of the satellite and helps the satellite in launching and placing in the orbit. (CHEMICAL POTENTIAL ENERGY)
5. Car's headlight before they are turned on it has some amount 
   
   of Potential Energy which is known as Radiant Potential Energy. As well as the mobile phone also when it is switched off it has some amount of Potential Energy. (POTENTIAL RADIANT ENERGY)                                                 
6. A swimming pool's water before it is heated and oven before it is turned on also have
   
   Potential Energy which is known as Thermal Potential Energy. (THERMAL POTENTIAL ENERGY)                                                                                                                                                                
7. When a jet flying faster then speed of sound then it create 

sonic boom. (POTENTIAL SOUND ENERGY)




Before we go further we should know about KINETIC ENERGY ,which is due to the motion of the body.A motion-less body doesn't contain KINETIC ENERGY.It's kinetic energy change in another form of energy.In CLASSICAL PHYSICS Kinetic Energy of a particular object is the energy that is produced due to its motion and mass. The following equation is used to determine the kinetic energy of standard object like paper, cars or planets.

WORK ENERGY THEOREM

According to this, the work done by any body results in change in kinetic energy of the body.

W = dK

                                     

CONSERVATION OF ENERGY

The Energy can't created or destroyed OR energy can only converts from one form to another form.

Eg: In our kitchens the Chemical Potential Energy of LPG gas converts into heat energy when we switch o the gas.

Here are some applications of this law:-

1. Driving a car :

Fill a car up with gasoline and you have a closed system. All the energy you have at your disposal is locked inside the gas in your tank in chemical form. When the gas flows into your engine, it burns with oxygen in the air.

The chemical energy in the gas is converted first into heat energy: the burning fuel makes hot expanding gas, which pushes the pistons in the engine cylinders. In this way, the heat is converted into mechanical energy. The pistons turn the crankshaft,gears, and drive shaft and—eventually—the car's wheels . As the wheels turn, they speed the vehicle along the road, giving it kinetic energy (energy of movement).

2. Boiling a Kettle :
Boil water with an electric kettle and you're seeing the conservation of energy at work again.

Electrical energy drawn from the power outlet on your wall flows into the heating element in the base of your kettle. As the current flows through the element, the element rapidly heats up, so the electrical energy is converted into heat energy that gets passed to the cold water surrounding it. After a couple of minutes, the water boils and (if the power stays on) starts to turn to steam.


3.A Swinging Simple Pendulum :

This is because a swinging simple pendulum is a body whose energy can either be potential or kinetic, or a mixture of potential and kinetic, but its total energy at any instant of time remains the same.

When the pendulum bob is at position B, it has only potential energy (but no kinetic energy).
As the bob starts moving down from position B to position A, its potential energy goes on decreasing but its kinetic energy goes on increasing.
When the bob reaches the center position A, it has only kinetic energy (but no potential energy).
As the bob goes from position A towards position C, its kinetic energy goes on decreasing but its potential energy goes on increasing.
On reaching the extreme position C, the bob stops for a very small instant of time. So at position C, the bob has only potential energy (but no kinetic energy).

NICOLA TESLA

"If you want to find the secret of the universe, 
 think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” 

                                                                          

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

"Energy and persistence alter all things."                                                              

ARISTOTLE 

  "The energy of the mind is the essence of life.”                                                                                                                        

SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

“I am somewhat exhausted; I wonder how a battery feels when it pours electricity into a non-conductor?”
                                                      

BARACK OBAMA

"To truly transform our economy, protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy."