PE+&+Energy+Conservation

Conservation of Energy

The Basics: The law of conservation of energy states that the total amount of energy in an isolated system remains constant. Potential Energy(U)= mgh Potential Energy of a Spring(U spring) = 1/2kx² Kinetic Energy(KE)= 1/2mv² U(initial) + KE(initial)= U(final) + KE(final)

Simulation: Create your own roller coaster. Make sure that the initial energy of the system is equal to the final energy of the system (if there is not enough initial PE, the roller coaster may not make it through the loops). http://www.mhhe.com/physsci/physical/giambattista/roller/roller_coaster.html

Sample Problems Example 1 (from 2007 AP Exam):

Solutions: