Question concerning kinetic energy and potential energy

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy in a spring system and the subsequent loss of energy when the spring comes to rest. Participants explore the mechanisms of energy dissipation, particularly in relation to heat and non-conservative forces.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes a scenario where a stretched spring releases potential energy as it collapses and oscillates, leading to questions about the final state of energy when the spring comes to rest.
  • Another participant argues that a perfect spring would not stop moving unless energy is lost to non-conservative forces, suggesting that energy is converted to heat, friction, etc.
  • A different viewpoint explains that energy becomes heat due to molecular interactions that prevent perfect kinetic energy transfer, resulting in disorganized particle movement.
  • Another participant elaborates that the heat generated is eventually radiated, convected, or conducted away from the spring, providing a mechanism for energy removal from the system.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that energy is lost to heat and other forms due to non-conservative forces, but there is no consensus on the specifics of how this energy dissipation occurs or the implications of a "perfect" spring.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not resolve the assumptions regarding the ideal behavior of springs versus real-world conditions, nor does it clarify the exact mechanisms of energy transfer and dissipation.

exmachina
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Suppose that I start with a stretched, stationary spring, so there's a high potential energy, but no kinetic energy.

Then I release the spring, so the potential energy is converted to kinetic energy as the spring collapses and oscillates.

After some time t, the spring stops moving and comes to a rest, so kinetic energy = 0, and potential energy also = 0, so where did all the energy go? If it's released as heat, how exactly does it do that?
 
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A perfect spring wouldn't ever stop moving unless it lost its energy to a non conservative force. So yea, it the energy gets sucked up by heat,friction,etc.
 
Everything becomes heat due to the molecule constructs not being able to transfer kinetic energy perfectly, and thus disorganizing the movements between the particles, and as we all know heat is just disorganized movement on particle level.
 
That heat is eventually radiated, convected, and/or conducted away from the spring into the surroundings, so that is the mechanism whereby it is removed from your spring.
 

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