It occurs when a force acts upon an object and the object uses the transferred energy as movement. If an object is moving, it is using mechanical energy. Review the examples of mechanical energy below for where you can see it in your everyday life. Mechanical energy is one of the only types of energy that is easy to see. If something is moving, it is using mechanical energy!
Take a look around you. Any object that is moving is using kinetic mechanical energy. Even objects that are not moving are storing potential mechanical energy. There are two types of mechanical energy: potential energy stored energy of position and kinetic energy energy of motion. The mechanical energy of an object is the sum of its potential energy and its kinetic energy.
Objects with higher amounts of mechanical energy will move more than objects with low mechanical energy. When an object is able to move but does not have a force working upon it, it is storing potential mechanical energy.
The two main types of potential energy are:. For example, a heavy bowling ball held four feet above the ground has more gravitational potential energy than a lighter tennis ball, which has some elastic potential energy because of its rubber material. When a force acts upon the balls to drop them, the gravitational potential energy of the bowling ball combines with its kinetic energy of motion.
It will drop with more force than the tennis ball, which will bounce due to its high elastic potential energy. An object uses kinetic mechanical energy when it is currently moving. In a hydropower plant, we often get to see the view of water running down the slope at an enormous speed. The running water is thrown from a great height just to gain a good amount of energy that is present in the form of gravitational potential energy due to height and kinetic energy due to motion.
The water falling down the slope then hits the blades of the turbines, which are installed at the bottom of the waterfall. The mechanical energy of the water enables it to do work on the blades; resulting in their rotation. Once the blades move, the turbine converts the mechanical energy of the water into electrical energy.
Hence, mechanical energy gives water the ability to do work on the blades of the turbine. A person riding a bicycle possesses some amount of energy in the form of chemical potential energy.
This energy is utilized by the cyclist to do work on the paddles of the bicycle by applying some force and enabling the bicycle to move forward. Moon possesses potential energy due to its position with respect to earth as well as kinetic energy, since it orbits around the earth. Therefore, we can say that the moon exhibits high mechanical energy in the form of potential energy and kinetic energy due to its position and motion, respectively.
The mechanical energy of the Earth-Moon system remains constant due to the law of conservation of mechanical energy. As explained earlier, this law says that the mechanical energy of a closed system remains constant if there is no external force applied to it, except for the gravitational force.
Since there is no friction or air resistance in space, therefore, the mechanical energy of the Earth-Moon system remains constant with the rhythmic interchange between kinetic and potential energy at different times of the month.
Electric motors are present in most of the household gadgets like vacuum cleaners, blenders, washing machines, fans, air conditioners, etc. Electric motors convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. For example, when we switch on the fan, the electric motor starts converting the electrical energy into mechanical energy.
The mechanical energy then gives the fan blades the ability to do work and hence, they start rotating. Therefore, we can say that the mechanical energy, converted by the electric motor, was responsible for work done on the blades.
A bow and an arrow is another day-to-day example of mechanical energy. When an arrow is drawn, it possesses energy in the form of elastic potential energy and when it is released, the bow renders kinetic energy, due to pulling, to the arrow that propels it towards the target. Both these energies, when combined, give the arrow the mechanical energy to move and hit the target.
Numerous examples can be given of how an object with mechanical energy can harness that energy in order to apply a force to cause another object to be displaced.
A classic example involves the massive wrecking ball of a demolition machine. The wrecking ball is a massive object that is swung backwards to a high position and allowed to swing forward into building structure or other object in order to demolish it.
Upon hitting the structure, the wrecking ball applies a force to it in order to cause the wall of the structure to be displaced. The diagram below depicts the process by which the mechanical energy of a wrecking ball can be used to do work.
A hammer is a tool that utilizes mechanical energy to do work. The mechanical energy of a hammer gives the hammer its ability to apply a force to a nail in order to cause it to be displaced. Because the hammer has mechanical energy in the form of kinetic energy , it is able to do work on the nail. Mechanical energy is the ability to do work. Another example that illustrates how mechanical energy is the ability of an object to do work can be seen any evening at your local bowling alley.
The mechanical energy of a bowling ball gives the ball the ability to apply a force to a bowling pin in order to cause it to be displaced. Because the massive ball has mechanical energy in the form of kinetic energy , it is able to do work on the pin.
A dart gun is still another example of how mechanical energy of an object can do work on another object. When a dart gun is loaded and the springs are compressed, it possesses mechanical energy. The mechanical energy of the compressed springs gives the springs the ability to apply a force to the dart in order to cause it to be displaced.
Because of the springs have mechanical energy in the form of elastic potential energy , it is able to do work on the dart. A common scene in some parts of the countryside is a "wind farm.
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