Larrytsai said:If I have a mass m1 sitting on an incline plane attached by a rope and a pulley to another mass m2 hanging off the incline plane, what would be the potential energy?
I was thinking that m1 only plays a role on the potential energy.
In that case, its potential energy changes.Larrytsai said:m2 can rise or fall
Larrytsai said:yes m2 is connected by a rope and I would like to find the velocity of m1 after it leaves the ramp.
So if it does change the systems potential energy would it just be
PE = g*(m1*height + m2*height)
the height of each respective mass are different.
Hello QuantumJock. Welcome to PF !QuantumJock said:Potential energy will not affected by the other mass.
PE = mgh , mass x gravity x height.
You know the mass, and you know gravity is equal to 9.81 so you will need to know the height.
Jock
Potential energy is a form of energy that an object possesses due to its position or state. It is related to physics because it is a fundamental concept in the study of energy, work, and forces.
The equation for calculating potential energy is PE = mgh, where m is the mass of the object, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height of the object.
Yes, potential energy can be negative. This occurs when the reference point for potential energy is below the object's position. For example, if an object is at a lower height than the reference point, its potential energy would be negative.
Potential energy can be converted into other forms of energy, such as kinetic energy, thermal energy, or electrical energy. This conversion can occur through various processes, such as falling, rolling, or stretching.
Some real-life examples of potential energy include a roller coaster at the top of a hill, a stretched spring, a book on a shelf, and a stretched rubber band. In each of these cases, the object has the potential to do work or move due to its position or state.