Work and Energy - Mission WE4 Detailed Help


Consider the diagram below. The kinetic energy and the potential energy of a car at various locations are shown. The total mechanical energy of the car (or sledd or roller coaster) at position B (or D) is ____ Joules.


 
Definition of Total Mechanical Energy:
The total mechanical energy possessed by an object is the sum of its kinetic energy and potential energy.


 
Mechanical energy takes two forms - kinetic and potential. The total amount of mechanical energy is simply the sum of these two amounts. At any given location along the path of a moving object, the total mechanical energy can be determined by adding the kinetic energy and the potential energy at those two locations.