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Chapter 1: Problem 3

Do any of these objects have energy they can spare: a compressed spring, an infl ated toy balloon, a stick of dynamite, and a falling ball?

Short Answer

Expert verified
All the objects have energy they can spare: a compressed spring, an inflated toy balloon, a stick of dynamite, and a falling ball.

Step by step solution

01

- Understand the Concept of Stored Energy

Analyze the different forms of stored energy (potential energy) each object might have: elastic potential energy in a compressed spring, elastic potential energy in an inflated balloon, chemical potential energy in a stick of dynamite, and gravitational potential energy in a falling ball.
02

- Evaluate the Compressed Spring

A compressed spring stores elastic potential energy because it can release this energy when it is allowed to return to its undeformed state. Therefore, a compressed spring has energy it can spare.
03

- Evaluate the Inflated Toy Balloon

An inflated balloon has stored energy due chiefly to the compression of air inside it, which is a form of elastic potential energy. It can release this energy if the air is allowed to escape. Thus, an inflated toy balloon has energy it can spare.
04

- Evaluate the Stick of Dynamite

A stick of dynamite contains chemical potential energy, which can be released as kinetic energy and thermal energy during a chemical reaction (explosion). Hence, a stick of dynamite has energy it can spare.
05

- Evaluate the Falling Ball

As a ball falls, it possesses gravitational potential energy that is progressively converted into kinetic energy. Since it has energy that is in the process of being converted, a falling ball has energy it can spare.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Potential Energy
Potential energy is a type of stored energy that depends on the position or condition of an object. It is termed as 'potential' because it has the potential to do work when released. There are different types of potential energy, including elastic, chemical, and gravitational potential energy.

To understand this better, think about a drawn bow. The tension in the string stores energy that can propel an arrow. Similarly, various objects store potential energy in different ways.
Elastic Potential Energy
Elastic potential energy is stored in objects that can be stretched or compressed. Good examples are a compressed spring and an inflated toy balloon.

When a spring is compressed, it stores energy that gets released when the spring returns to its original shape. The same applies to an inflated balloon. The compressed air inside stores energy which can be released if the balloon is punctured or deflated.

Key points to remember about elastic potential energy:
  • Stored in deformable objects
  • Dependent on the extent of compression or extension
  • Released when the object returns to its original form
Chemical Potential Energy
Chemical potential energy is stored in the bonds of chemical substances. An everyday example is a stick of dynamite.

A stick of dynamite contains chemicals that store energy in the form of chemical bonds. When it explodes, the chemical potential energy is released rapidly as kinetic and thermal energy. This conversion is what causes the explosive reaction.

Important aspects to understand about chemical potential energy:
  • Stored in chemical bonds
  • Released during a chemical reaction
  • Can transform into various types of energy, usually kinetic and thermal
Gravitational Potential Energy
Gravitational potential energy is the energy stored in an object due to its position in a gravitational field, typically concerning its height above the ground. A prime example is a falling ball.

When you hold a ball at a height, it stores gravitational potential energy. As the ball starts to fall, this energy converts into kinetic energy, causing the ball to accelerate towards the ground.

Essential details about gravitational potential energy:
  • Depends on the height and mass of the object
  • Higher the object, the greater the potential energy
  • Converts to kinetic energy during free fall

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Most popular questions from this chapter

You are pushing a child on a playground swing. If you exert a \(50-N\) ( 11 -lbf) force on him as he is swinging away from you, how much force will he exert back on you?

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Bicycling to the top of a mountain is much harder than rolling back down to the bottom. At which place do you have the most gravitational potential energy?

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