Class-XI Physics

1.4 Kinetic energy

Energy

The energy of a body is defined as its capacity or ability to do work. It cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. Like work, energy is a scalar quantity having magnitude only and no direction. The dimensions of energy are the same as the dimensions of work, i.e. \(\left[\mathrm{ML}^2 \mathrm{~T}^{-2}\right]\). It is measured in the same unit as work, i.e. joule in SI and erg in CGS system.

Energy is broadly classified into two main types:

Potential Energy:

Potential energy is stored energy that an object has because of its position, condition, or arrangement, which has the capacity to do work when released. This stored energy is typically classified by the force field acting on the object.

Examples of Potential Energy

  • Gravitational Potential Energy: Energy stored due to an object’s height in a gravitational field.
    • Water behind a large dam
    • A book resting on a high shelf
    • A roller coaster car at the top of its initial hill
  • Elastic Potential Energy: Energy stored in objects that are stretched or compressed, associated with forces trying to restore them to their original shape.
    • A stretched rubber band
    • A compressed spring
    • A drawn bow and arrow
  • Chemical Potential Energy: Energy stored in the bonds between atoms and molecules. 
    • Food we eat (released through digestion)
    • A battery (released as electrical energy)
    • Gasoline (released when burned in an engine)

Kinetic Energy:

Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion. Any moving object has kinetic energy.

Examples of Kinetic Energy

  • A moving car has kinetic energy.
  • A thrown baseball has kinetic energy.
  • A person running has kinetic energy.
  • Water flowing in a river has kinetic energy.

Energy can exist in various forms such as mechanical energy (potential energy and kinetic energy), sound energy, heat energy, light energy, etc.

Kinetic Energy

The energy possessed by a body by virtue of its motion is called kinetic energy. Kinetic energy of a body can be calculated by the amount of work done in stopping the moving body or from the amount of work done in giving it same velocity from state of rest.

If an object of mass \(m\) has velocity \({v}\), then its kinetic energy is given by
\(
\mathrm{KE}=\frac{1}{2} m v^2
\)

The kinetic energy of a system having \(n\) particles is equal to the sum of the kinetic energies of all its constituent particles.
i.e.
\(
\begin{gathered}
K=\frac{1}{2} m_1 v_1^2+\frac{1}{2} m_2 v_2^2+\frac{1}{2} m_3 v_3^2+\ldots \ldots+\frac{1}{2} m_n v_n^2 \\
K=\sum_{i=1}^n \frac{1}{2} m_i v_i^2
\end{gathered}
\)

Regarding the kinetic energy, the following two points are important to note

  • Since, both \(m\) and \(v^2\) are always positive. Hence, kinetic energy is always positive and does not depend on the direction of motion of the body.
  • Kinetic energy depends on the frame of reference. e.g. The kinetic energy of a person of mass \(m\) sitting in a train moving with speed \(v\) is zero in the frame of train but \((1 / 2) m v^2\) in the frame of earth.

Example 1: In a ballistics demonstration a police officer fires a bullet of mass \(50.0 \mathrm{~g}\) with speed \(200 \mathrm{~m} \mathrm{~s}^{-1}\) on soft plywood of thickness \(2.00 \mathrm{~cm}\). The bullet emerges with only \(10 \%\) of its initial kinetic energy. What is the emergent speed of the bullet?

Solution: The initial kinetic energy of the bullet is \(m v^{2} / 2=1000 \mathrm{~J}\). It has a final kinetic energy of \(0.1 \times 1000=100 \mathrm{~J}\). If \(v_{f}\) is the emergent speed of the bullet,
\(
\begin{array}{l}
\frac{1}{2} m v_{f}^{2}=100 \mathrm{~J} \\
v_{f}=\sqrt{\frac{2 \times 100 \mathrm{~J}}{0.05 \mathrm{~kg}}} \\
=63.2 \mathrm{~m} \mathrm{~s}^{-1}
\end{array}
\)

Example 2: When a man increases his speed by \(2 \mathrm{~ms}^{-1}\), he finds that his kinetic energy is doubled. Find the original speed of the man.

Solution: Man possesses kinetic energy because of his velocity (\(v\)). If \(m\) is mass of man, then \(K=\frac{1}{2} m v^2\)
Given,
\(
v_1=v, m_1=m_2=m
\)
When
\(
v_2=(v+2) \mathrm{ms}^{-1} \text {, then }
\)
\(
K_2=2 K_1
\)
\(
\begin{aligned}
& \because \quad \frac{K_1}{K_2}=\frac{v_1^2}{v_2^2} \Rightarrow \frac{K_1}{2 K_1}=\frac{v^2}{(v+2)^2} \\
& \Rightarrow \quad v^2-4 v-4=0 \\
& \text { This gives, } \quad v_1=\frac{4+\sqrt{16+16}}{2}=\frac{4+\sqrt{32}}{2} \\
& \Rightarrow \quad v_1=2(\sqrt{2}+1) \mathrm{ms}^{-1}
\end{aligned}
\)

Example 3: A body of mass 0.8 kg has initial velocity \((3 \hat{\mathbf{i}}-4 \hat{\mathbf{j}}) \mathrm{ms}^{-1}\) and final velocity \((-6 \hat{\mathbf{j}}+2 \hat{\mathbf{k}}) \mathrm{ms}^{-1}\). Find change in kinetic energy of the body.

Solution: Change in kinetic energy,
where,
\(
\Delta \mathrm{KE}=\frac{1}{2} m v_f^2-\frac{1}{2} m v_i^2
\)
and
\(
v_f=\sqrt{6^2+2^2}=\sqrt{40} \mathrm{~ms}^{-1}
\)
and \(\quad v_i=\sqrt{3^2+4^2}=\sqrt{25} \mathrm{~ms}^{-1}\)
\(
\begin{aligned}
\therefore \quad \Delta \mathrm{KE} & =\frac{1}{2} \times 0.8[\sqrt{40})^2-(\sqrt{25})^2] \\
& =0.4[40-25]=0.4(15)=6 \mathrm{~J}
\end{aligned}
\)

Relation between kinetic energy and linear momentum

The linear momentum of a body is given by \(p=m v\), where \(m\) is the mass and \(v\) is the velocity of a body. Then, kinetic energy of the body,
\(
\begin{array}{r}
\mathrm{KE}=\frac{1}{2} m v^2=\frac{1}{2 m}\left(m^2 v^2\right) \\
\mathrm{KE}=\frac{p^2}{2 m} \text { or } p^2=2 m \mathrm{KE} \\
\Rightarrow \quad \text { Linear momentum, } p=\sqrt{2 m \mathrm{KE}}
\end{array}
\)

Example 4: Two bodies \(A\) and \(B\) having masses in the ratio of \(3: 1\) possess the same kinetic energy. Obtain the ratio of linear momentum of \(B\) to that of \(A\).

Solution: Kinetic energy of the body is given by
\(
E_K=\frac{1}{2} m v^2 \dots(i)
\)
and linear momentum, \(p=m v \dots(ii)\)
From Eqs. (i) and (ii), we get
\(
E_K=\frac{m^2 v^2}{2 m}=\frac{p^2}{2 m}
\)
Now,
\(
E_{K_1}=E_{K_2}
\)
\(\Rightarrow \quad \frac{p_1^2}{2 m_1}=\frac{p_2^2}{2 m_2}\) or \(\frac{p_1}{p_2}=\sqrt{\frac{m_1}{m_2}}\)
\(
\frac{p_1}{p_2}=\sqrt{\frac{3}{1}} \text { or } \frac{p_2}{p_1}=\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}
\)

Example 5: Kinetic energy of a particle is increased by \(300 \%\). Find the percentage increase in momentum.

Solution: Kinetic energy, \(E=\frac{1}{2} m v^2\)
and momentum, \(p=m v\)
When \(E\) is increased by \(300 \%\),
\(
\begin{aligned}
E^{\prime} & =E+3 E=4 E \\
& =4\left(\frac{1}{2} m v^2\right)=2 m v^2
\end{aligned}
\)
If \(v^{\prime}\) is velocity of body, then
\(
\begin{aligned}
& & \frac{1}{2} m\left(v^{\prime}\right)^2 & =2 m v^2 \\
\Rightarrow & & v^{\prime} & =2 v \\
& \text { So, } & p^{\prime} & =m v^{\prime}=2 m v
\end{aligned}
\)
Hence, percentage change in momentum
\(
=\frac{2 m v-m v}{m v} \times 100=100 \%
\)

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